Pack Cementation

Diffusion coatings are formed by depositing a layer of aluminum on the metal surface and then heating the component in a furnace for a period of time. During this heat treatment, the aluminum and metal atoms migrate, or diffuse, into each other, which is the reason these coatings are called diffusion coatings. This processing is usually performed by a pack cementation process, in which the aluminum deposition and the heat treatment occur simultaneously.

Pack cementation is widely used to confer oxidation resistance on ferrous alloys. Usually relatively expensive aluminum or binary alloys grade reagent is used during the pack process with aluminum as a source. Pack cementation processes include aluminizing, chromizing, and siliconizing. Components are packed in metal powders in sealed heat-resistant retorts and heated inside a furnace to precisely controlled temperature-time profiles. In the aluminizing process, a source of Al reacts with a chemical activator on heating to form a gaseous compound (e.g., pure Al with NaF to form AlF). This gas is the transfer medium that carries aluminum to the component surface. The gas decomposes at the substrate surface depositing Al and releasing the halogen activator. The halogen activator returns to the pack and reacts with the Al again. Thus, the transfer process continues until all of the aluminum in the pack is used or until the process is stopped by cooling. The coating forms at temperatures ranging from 700 to 1100^oC over a period of several hours.