Carburising

Activator for Carburising

A non-cyanide inorganic barium-base compound that replaces ready-made carburising salt. Combined with Sodium Cyanide in your own bath, it delivers 1 mm case depth in 5 hours at approximately 30% lower cost — with full control of bath strength in your hands.

Operating Temp

900°C – 950°C

Typical Case Depth

1 mm in ~5 hours

Packaging

25 kg HDPE bags

Documentation

COA · MSDS · TDS

Product Overview

Activator is a barium-base non-cyanide inorganic compound designed as a cost-effective alternative to buying ready-made carburising salt. Instead of purchasing a pre-blended product where cyanide percentage and cost are fixed, you mix Activator with your own Sodium Cyanide — giving your team direct control over bath concentration, process parameters, and running cost.

The Activator itself contains no cyanide. Sodium Cyanide is sourced and added separately, which means you can adjust its percentage precisely to your process requirement — running the bath stronger or leaner depending on the steel grade, component section, and target case depth. This flexibility, combined with the cost difference between blended carburising salt and constituent ingredients, typically delivers around 30% savings on carburising chemical cost per batch.

Technical Specifications

Product Name	Activator for Carburising
Base	Barium base — non-cyanide inorganic compound
Process	Liquid carburising / casehardening
Operating Temperature	900°C – 950°C
Bath Composition	Activator 65% + Sodium Cyanide 35–45%
Initial Fill Ratio	Activator 50% + Sodium Cyanide 50%
Running NaCN Level	14–20% maintained in bath
Daily Top-Up Ratio	Activator : NaCN = 2 : 1
Typical Case Depth	1 mm in approximately 5 hours
Cost Advantage	~30% lower vs. ready-made carburising salt
Packaging	25 kg HDPE sealed bags
Storage	Cool, dry place — keep sealed, avoid moisture
Documentation	COA, MSDS, TDS included with every order

Why Use Activator

The Advantage Over Ready-Made Carburising Salt

~30% Cost Saving

By sourcing Activator and Sodium Cyanide separately and blending in your own bath, you avoid the premium built into ready-made carburising salt — a saving our customers consistently report as approximately 30% per batch.

You Control the Bath Strength

Ready-made salts fix the cyanide percentage for you. With Activator, you decide exactly how much Sodium Cyanide to add — running the bath at the strength your specific steel grade and case depth target requires.

Non-Cyanide Activator Component

The Activator itself is a non-cyanide inorganic ingredient mixture. Sodium Cyanide is added separately as a controlled addition — making storage, handling, and procurement of each component straightforward.

Consistent Case Depth

Properly maintained baths using Activator deliver approximately 1 mm of case depth within 5 hours at 900–950°C — a benchmark our years of field experience has validated across multiple steel grades.

Flexible for Multiple Steel Grades

Suitable for low-carbon steels, case-hardening alloy steels, bearing grades, blade steels, and HSS tools — adjust NaCN concentration up or down to match the grade and required case depth.

Pack Carburising Also Available

For applications where liquid carburising is not practical, we also supply Pack Carburising compound. Ask us for details alongside your Activator enquiry.

Process Guide

How to Set Up and Run an Activator Bath

Two methods are available for the initial fill. Both arrive at the same working bath — choose based on your furnace and loading preference.

Bath Composition

Component	Running Bath	Initial Fill
Activator (Barium Base)	65%	50%
Sodium Cyanide (NaCN)	35 – 45%	50%
NaCN running concentration	Maintain 14 – 20% in bath

Initial Bath Setup — Two Methods

Method A — Sequential

Add Activator directly into the pot.
Heat the pot to approximately 800°C until the Activator is fully molten.
Add the required quantity of Sodium Cyanide into the molten Activator.
Continue heating to the working temperature of 900–950°C.
Once working temperature is stable, load the components into the bath.

Method B — Pre-Mixed

Combine Activator and Sodium Cyanide in the correct ratio directly in the pot.
Heat the pot gradually until both components are fully molten and mixed.
Continue heating to the working temperature of 900–950°C.
Once the bath is stable at working temperature, load the components.

Daily Running & Top-Up

Top-up ratio

Top up Activator and Sodium Cyanide in a 2 : 1 ratio (Activator : NaCN). Frequency depends on your workload and the number of components processed per shift.

Monitor NaCN level

Check the Sodium Cyanide concentration regularly and maintain it in the 14–20% range. Adjust NaCN additions accordingly — this is the key variable you control.

Check case depth

Periodically run test coupons to confirm case depth. At 900–950°C, a well-maintained bath should deliver approximately 1 mm of case depth within 5 hours.

Typical Case Depth

1 mm

Case Depth

in approximately 5 hours

Operating Temp

900 – 950°C

Suitable Component Types

Bearings & bearing rings
Blade & cutting tools
HSS tools
Low-carbon & case-hardening steels
Alloy case-hardening steels
Professional heat treaters (mixed grades)

Pack Carburising Also Available

For applications where liquid carburising is not suitable, we also supply Pack Carburising compound. Mention your requirement when you enquire.

Ask About Pack Carburising

Complete Your Process

Related Products

Neutral Salt

SN-660 Neutral Salt

Neutral pre-heat salt — use before transferring components to the carburising bath.

View Details

Specialty Chemical

Economizer

Surface cover for the carburising bath — suppresses fumes and reduces heat loss.

View Details

Specialty Chemical

Regenerator

Anti-decarburization additive for neutral salt baths in the same heat treat line.

View Details

View All Products

Ready to order Activator?

Ships from Shapar warehouse. COA, MSDS and TDS included. Same-day dispatch before 2 PM.

Send Enquiry WhatsApp Us