Assessment of carburization and hardness profile in steel rods using low-frequency magnetic incremental permeability and advanced numerical modeling
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This study presents a hybrid experimental-numerical approach for the nondestructive evaluation of carburization profiles in steels. The method is based on low-frequency magnetic incremental permeability (LF-MIP) measurements and establishes a quantitative relationship between the electromagnetic signature and the hardness gradient induced by carburization. Finite element simulations are used to compute the LF-MIP response of layered media representative of various carbon and hardness distributions, using experimentally calibrated magnetic and electrical properties. These simulated responses are organized into a reference impedance chart that enables the inverse reconstruction of hardness profiles from LF-MIP measurements. The approach is validated on 18NiCr5-4 steel specimens with distinct case depths, for which the predicted hardness profiles are compared with microhardness measurements. The results show excellent agreement, with an average relative Euclidean distance of approximately 4%, demonstrating the robustness and accuracy of the proposed method.
Source: Materials & Design
Language: English
Subfield: Mechanical Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,650
OpenAlex ID: W7214200090