CHTE Awarded Patent for Carbon Probe (September 2006)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s Center for Heat Treating Excellence has been awarded a patent (U.S. Patent No. 7,068,054 B2) for its carbon probe that allows the real time measure- ment of carbon concentration profiles in steels during the carburizing heat treatment. The carbon probe can be directly applied to a part being carburized or to a coupon made from the same steel, and can be used for real time control of the heat treating process when used with an intelligent control system for temperature and atmosphere control. The probe inventors are Loutfallah Georges Chedid, Makhlouf M. Makhlouf, and Richard D. Sisson Jr.
Patent summary
An alloy solute sensor probe, measurement system, and measurement method are disclosed for directly measuring solute concentration profiles in conductive material components at elevated processing temperatures. The device and method permit direct real-time nondestructive measurement of solute concentration profiles in treated surfaces in alloy components. Anovel concentric carbon sensor and rod-shaped carbon sensor are disclosed that use ac frequencies for probing the subsurface region of alloy samples to determine carbon concentration profiles at steel surfaces from measurements of alloy resistivity profiles. Results of carbon profile measurements obtained using the device and method compare favorably with conventional destructive analytical measurements made on post-processed samples. The sensor probe and method can be used to determine solute concentration profiles for a variety of solute materials and alloy compositions and may be advantageously used in alloy surface processing, carburization heat treatments, induction heating, and fatigue fracture applications.
For more information: Contact Rick Sisson at the Center for Heat Treating Excellence; tel: 508-831-5335; e-mail: sisson@wpi.edu.
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