ABSTRACT Sherardising is a surface protection method for obtaining an Fe-Zn coating on a steel surface by thermal diffusion. This paper proposes a model to study the sherardising diffusion process of low carbon steel. The diffusion mathematical model of the zinc coating element is established by the finite element method, which simulates the changes of zinc concentration field with temperature and time in the sherardising process. In the experimental work the sherardised samples were prepared for 2, 6 and 10 h at 375°C and 2, 6 and 8 h at 405°C and 420°C. Each phase’s thickness and the zinc concentration of the sherardising layer were measured by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectrometry respectively. The results show that the accuracy of the finite element method is verified by the consistency between the simulation results and the experimental results. This model can effectively guide the sherardising process to achieve optimum results.

中文翻译：

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渗光浓度场的有限元模拟

摘要 渗锌是一种通过热扩散在钢表面获得 Fe-Zn 涂层的表面保护方法。本文提出了一种研究低碳钢渗碳扩散过程的模型。采用有限元方法建立锌镀层元素的扩散数学模型，模拟渗锌过程中锌浓度场随温度和时间的变化。在实验工作中，渗锌样品在 375°C 下制备 2、6 和 10 小时，在 405°C 和 420°C 下制备 2、6 和 8 小时。分别用扫描电子显微镜和能谱仪测量了渗锌层各相的厚度和锌浓度。结果表明，仿真结果与实验结果的一致性验证了有限元法的准确性。该模型可以有效地指导渗锌过程以达到最佳效果。