Method and system for cooling metal parts after nitriding

Abstract

A method and a system for cooling treating metal parts exiting a nitriding/nitrocarburizing treatment in molten salt baths, comprising a cooling chamber in direct relation with a nitriding/nitrocarburizing station for receiving parts therefrom; a gaseous nitrogen feeding unit connected to the cooling chamber and configured to create an inert atmosphere within the cooling chamber; and a screened transfer path between the nitriding/nitrocarburizing station and the cooling chamber; wherein after exiting molten salt baths of the nitriding/nitrocarburizing station, the treated parts are transferred to the cooling chamber through the screened transfer path, and cooled therein to a minimum temperature above a temperature at which salts congeal.

Claims

1. A method, comprising: treating metal parts for nitriding/nitrocarburizing in molten salt baths; creating an inert atmosphere within a cooling chamber; transferring the treated metal parts from the molten salt baths to the cooling chamber; and cooling the parts within the cooling chamber to reach a minimum temperature above a temperature at which salts congeal, wherein said creating the inert atmosphere within the cooling chamber comprises feeding the cooling chamber with refrigerant in gaseous form.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said nitriding/nitrocarburizing is performed in the molten salt baths at a temperature in a range between 540° C. and 650° C.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the minimum temperature is about 450° C.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the minimum temperature is comprised in a range between 400° C. and 450° C.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the treated metal parts exit the molten salt baths at a temperature in a range between 540° C. and 650° C.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said transferring the treated metal parts to the cooling chamber comprises protecting the treated parts from ambient air.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising transferring the parts once cooled to a rinsing bath.

8. A method, comprising: treating metal parts for nitriding/nitrocarburizing in molten salt baths; creating an inert atmosphere within a cooling chamber; transferring the treated metal parts from the molten salt baths to the cooling chamber; and cooling the parts within the cooling chamber to reach a minimum temperature above a temperature at which salts congeal, the method comprising continuously feeding the cooling chamber with a refrigerant in gaseous form at a flow rate comprised in a range between 400 and 1000 pi.sup.3/h.

9. A method, comprising: treating metal parts for nitriding/nitrocarburizing in molten salt baths; creating an inert atmosphere within a cooling chamber; transferring the treated metal parts from the molten salt baths to the cooling chamber; and cooling the parts within the cooling chamber to reach a minimum temperature above a temperature at which salts congeal, the method further comprising transferring the parts once cooled to a stop bath.

10. A method, comprising: treating metal parts for nitriding/nitrocarburizing in molten salt baths; creating an inert atmosphere within a cooling chamber; transferring the treated metal parts from the molten salt baths to the cooling chamber; and cooling the parts within the cooling chamber to reach a minimum temperature above a temperature at which salts congeal, the method further comprising transferring the parts once cooled to a rinsing bath at a temperature in a range between 40 and 50° C. and then to a stop bath at a temperature of 20° C.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In the appended drawings:

(2) FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a system according to an embodiment of an aspect of the present invention; and

(3) FIG. 2 show a cooling chamber according to an embodiment of an aspect of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

(4) According to an embodiment of an aspect of the present invention, liquid nitrogen for example typically stored in a liquid nitrogen tank 14 located outdoors, is sent to an evaporator 12 so as to feed a cooling chamber 10 from below using inlets 14 positioned at a bottom thereof, with gaseous nitrogen, within the plant (see FIG. 1). Another gas may be to discharge the oxygen out of the cooling chamber 10, such as Argon for example.

(5) The cooling chamber 10 is placed in direct relation with a nitriding/nitrocarburizing station (not shown) for receiving parts therefrom, transferred from the molten salt baths of the nitriding/nitrocarburizing station.

(6) The cooling chamber 10 is shown for example in FIG. 2 as a double-walled steel chamber, with a lid 18 for closing the chamber against oxygen penetration and a bottom drawer 16 for salt recovering.

(7) The cooling chamber 10 is first submitted to an oxygen purge by flushing through at least four times its volume with gaseous nitrogen for example, thereby creating therein an inert atmosphere. After this initial purge, the cooling chamber 10 is in operation mode, i.e. ready to receive parts from molten salt baths of the nitriding/nitrocarburizing station, as gaseous nitrogen is continuously fed to the cooling chamber 10, at a flow rate typically in a range between about 400 and about 1000 pi.sup.3/h.

(8) After exiting the molten salt baths at a temperature in a range between about 540° C. and about 650° C. in the nitriding/nitrocarburizing station, the treated parts are transferred to the cooling chamber 10 for a metallurgically slow cooling in the inert atmosphere of the cooling chamber 10.

(9) The transfer is performed in a limited time, for example not more than 8 minutes, for example at a rate of at about 6 m/mm depending on the distance to be covered from the nitriding/nitrocarburizing station, so as to prevent action from ambient oxygen. During this transfer, the parts may be protected against air flows by a steel screen as to minimize convection effects of ambient air thereon. Such a screen contributes to prevent hot corrosion of the parts being transferred, as they are still covered with melted salts from the nitriding/nitrocarburizing station.

(10) The cooling within the cooling chamber 10 is done to reach a minimum temperature in a range between about 400 and about 450° C., i.e. a temperature above a temperature at which salts congeal, so as to prevent formation of a crust on the parts, which may be difficult to remove once formed. Then the parts are transferred to a rinsing bath at a temperature in a range between about 40 and 50° C. and to a stop bath at a temperature of about 20° C., in which the parts are also rinsed.

(11) It was found that such method prevents distortion of the treated parts, i.e. geometrical variations that may otherwise occur during quenching: for example, a precision tube 6″×5.5″ may distort 0.20″ on its diameter, while preventing surface oxidation of the parts, for parts in carbon steel, low alloy and alloy steel.

(12) The scope of the claims should not be limited by the embodiments set forth in the examples, but should be given the broadest interpretation consistent with the description as a whole.