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Glite Dictionary
to carburize

to carburize

9.9
To add carbon to metal by heating to make the surface hard
  • verb
  • /ˈkɑrbjʊˌraɪz/
  • Specialized
translation icon : carburar
  • To enhance the strength of the tool, they decided to carburize the metal before forging.

Examples

  • The blacksmith will carburize the steel to improve its hardness.

  • The properties of the core were simulated by subjecting specimens to the carburizing thermal cycle absent the presence of carbon in the atmosphere.

    Blog text (16)

  • All worms are carburized and precision-ground.

    Academic text (1994)

  • The pulper drive has a high-accuracy case carburized and ground gearing, and rugged fabricated steel housings, resulting in a rigid and long-life drive.

    Academic text (2006)

  • After heating, the technician carburized the surface to ensure it could withstand extreme wear.

Synonyms

to carbonize
vsto carburize
  • Specialized
1 8.4

To add carbon to a metal's surface to make it harder

infuses metals by heating to harden only the outer surface
to carburet
vsto carburize
  • Archaic
1 9.9

To add carbon to a material to change it chemically

uses heating on metals to add carbon and harden the surface

How Hard

case-hardened steel
  • Specialized
6.7
to carburize
  • Specialized
9.9
to face-harden
  • Specialized
7.7
to harden
27 2.6

Surface Forms

carburize infinitive
carburized past
carburized past participle
carburizing present participle
carburizes third person singular

Morphology

carburize = carbon (transparent) = carbur + ize

The verb is formed by adding the productive suffix '-ize' to a carbon-related combining form; a learner who knows 'carbon' and '-ize' can infer 'to add or infuse with carbon', though the usage is technical (metallurgy).

Etymology

Carburize comes from the root carb-, the same root as carbon, which means 'coal' or 'carbon', and the ending -ize meaning 'to make'. So to carburize metal is to 'add carbon' to its surface, often by heating, to make it harder.