Tests conducted on vacuum carburized and quenched shafts identify variables that increase distortion and the magnitude of residual stresses.

Stringent pressure control and gas species type both play an important role in minimizing the evaporation rate of not only copper, but other elements susceptible to evaporation in vacuum systems. The article describes a study investigating the effect of temperature, pressure, and carrier gas species on the amount of copper evaporation that occurs from copper foil test samples in low pressure carburizing.

Emissivity is a term used to define the ability of a surface to emit and absorb radiation. At any given temperature, the emissivity of a body (or surface) equals its absorptivity. Development work on a vacuum carburizing process revealed the need to better understand the effect of workload surface emissivity and the proper use of dummy thermocouple test blocks. This article reports on the findings from this research effort.