Articles 

Furnace Atmosphere Considerations for Fasteners

2011-02-23

A critical consideration in the heat treatment of fasteners is the type, consistency, and control of the furnace atmosphere. The purpose of a furnace atmosphere varies with the desired end result of the heat treating process. The atmospheres used in the fastener industry have one of two common purposes: v To protect the fasteners being processed from harmful chemical reactions that could occur on their surfaces (such as oxidation or carburization), that is, to be passive (or chemically inert) to the metal surface. v To allow the surface of the fastener to be changed (by adding carbon, or nitrogen, or both), that is, to be reactive (or chemically active) to the metal surface.