I am looking for seamless steel tube which can be induction hardened
inside. The hardenss I intend to achieve is 59-63 HRC. The length of
tube is 1600 mm and the bore dia is 200 mm with outer dia of 225 mm.
Kindly suggest me the required grade of steel, manufacturers and also
the care to be taken while induction hardening.
I request reply on my mail pasha@himind.net

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Request for Question Clarification by redhoss-ga on 10 Apr 2006 09:01 PDT

What depth of hardness do you need on the inside of the tube. Can you
give us some idea of what the final product would be. Are you familiar
with carburizing to achieve hardness in the range you require.

the inside of a hollow tube cannot be hardened (normally)without
hardening the outside.
   to harden the inside of the tube only on the inside you can do carburising, 
but then the choice of steels will be highly restricted.
   it is possible to harden the inside of a hollow tube by induction
hardening but it will require an elaborate procedure.
   the technical nohow to do so will cost far more than the meagre sum
propopsed by you

Some steel tubes have their wear resistance improved through the
application of a chromium layer.  One can plate chromium on the inside
of a tube, but the success of such a venture depends on the ID of the
tube and its length.  As another option, a hard layer of high
phosphorous electroless nickel can be plated to the inside of the
tube, followed by a low temperature heat treating.  This will achieve
an excellent, wear resistant layer of about Rockwell C of 50. However,
again it depends on the ID of the tube and its length.  There are many
plating shops in all metropolitan areas that will be happy to discuss
the subject with you.

A final method that may work for you would be to quench and temper the
entire tube to a strength and hardness you can live with.

Tube wall is about 5 inches. To what depth does the hradening need to go? 
Is it on the ID?  or the OD?

Tube wall is about 5 inches. To what depth does the hradening need to go? 
It is on the ID