EVALUATION OF PULVERIZED COCONUT SHELL CHARCOAL AND PERIWINKLE SHELL FOR CARBURIZING MILD STEEL

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Department of Engineering

ABSTRACT
The service conditions of many moving steel components require it to possess both hard and wear resistant surfaces witha tough and shock resistant cores. To achieve this, the suitability of pulverized coconut shell charcoal and periwinkle shell for carburizing 0.08%C mild steel was investigated in order to evaluate the carburizing parameters of the mild steel. The carburizing parameters evaluated were temperature, time and materials (ratio 75wt% pulverized coconut shell charcoal to 25wt% pulverized periwinkle shell). The results obtained revealed thateffective case depth and hardness values increased by increasing carburization temperature and time. Optimum hardness value of 630Hv was obtained at carburizing temperature of 950oC, carburizing time of 3 hours, carbon potential ratio of 75wt% pulverized coconut shell charcoal to 25wt% pulverized periwinkle shell and tempering temperature of 200oC with effective case depth of 2.50 mm, impact energy of 74 Joules and the wear rate of 2.023×10−2mm3/N/m. Hence,pulverized coconut shell charcoal and pulverized periwinkle shell can be effectively used as carburizing materials in the ratio of 75wt% pulverized coconut shell charcoal to 25wt% pulverized periwinkle shell to case hardened 0.08% C mild steel for engineering application.