Said of an endothermic or carburizing atmosphere whose carbon potential or enriching gas flow is higher than intended. Symptoms are a sooty, yellow effluent flame, black parts and climbing surface carbon, which leads to retained austenite and carbide networks. The opposite, running lean, risks low surface carbon and decarb.
Effluent flame's yellow and smoky, she's running rich, back the natural gas down before the parts soot.
Also heard as
- rich
- running heavy
Related terms
Carbon potential
The carbon content a furnace atmosphere would give the surface of plain steel at equilibrium.
Sooting
Free carbon depositing in a furnace or on parts when the atmosphere carries more carbon than it can hold.
Flame curtain
A sheet of burning gas across a furnace door that keeps air out while the door is open.
Wet
Shop word for a furnace atmosphere with too much water vapor, meaning a high dew point and low carbon.