In the world of heavy industrial maintenance steel, whether you call it Case Hardening, or, Surface Hardening, or, Skin Hardening, it is all the same thing. This is a localized method of hardening employed to develop a wear resistant surface while maintaining a somewhat ductile (shock resistant) core. With production items, such as gear teeth, this may be very fine tuned, sophisticated, accurately measurable. In maintenance, “one-off” items, it can be somewhat erratic and capable of surprise. If you are contemplating increasing the surface hardness of a piece of steel, please recognize that increasing the hardness, especially localized hardness, is also increasing the brittleness which subsequently increases the chances of facture. Wear appropriate safety gear. Any surprises may not be very forgiving.
IN GENERAL, the two types of hardening are self-explanatory. A through hardened piece of steel is pretty much the same relative hardness from surface to core. Most common prehardened steels, carbon or alloy, are often shipped at a hardness of approx. 30RC. As the cross sections get larger, the hardness will “drop-off to core”. That is, as you get closer to the center of the mass, the hardness may drop a few points. Those are still considered to be Through Hardened. Surface hardened levels, typically those used in hydraulic applications, and precision automation rail applications, will be supplied with a very thin hardened surface “skin”, at about 60RC, with a great drop off in hardness toward core.
The surface hardened material provides great resistance to sliding abrasive wear while resisting bending and torque. The through hardened alloy or carbon material provides a good balance of toughness (a combination of wear, impact, and gouging resistance). The through hardened material makes no pretense to be particularly ductile. In fact, as through hardness increases, the potential for general fracture also increases.
Caution should be exercised when attempting to surface harden small cross sections. Even though your intent and processing method may be aimed at surface hardening, small cross sections cool rapidly. The rapid cooling may actually result in a through hardened condition with potentially dangerous brittle hardness.
-Howard Thomas, Nov 8th 2018
