Metallographic Studies of Pack Cyanided Mild Steel Using Cassava Leaves

Abstract

Cassava has been found to contain cyanogenic glucoside, which is hydrolyzed to cyanide as a waste product during cassava processing. This cyanide content is found to vary in the various parts of the cassava plant. Powdered cassava leaf has been utilized to pack cyanide mild steel specimens using BaCO₃ and BaCl₂ as energizers. The microstructures of the treated specimens were examined; these revealed a case formation resulting from the diffusion of C into the specimen. The diffusion proceeded from the case to the core of the specimen with increase in treatment temperature and time. The cutting time of the case-hardened steels was investigated and correlated with pack cyaniding heat treatment. The specimens were found to be more resistant to sectioning with increasing temperature and time.

Keywords:

• Austenite phase
• Carbon
• Carbonitriding
• Case
• Cassava
• Cyanogenic
• Diffusion
• Ferrite phase
• Hardening
• Microstructure
• Nitriding
• Nitrogen
• Pack-cyaniding
• Treatment temperature
• Toxic

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The authors are especially grateful to the Raw Materials Research and Development Council, Abuja, Nigeria, for the sponsorship of this work.