EN ISO 3887:2023

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-februar-2024
Jekla - Določevanje globine razogličene plasti (ISO 3887:2023)
Steels - Determination of the depth of decarburization (ISO 3887:2023)
Stahl - Bestimmung der Entkohlungstiefe (ISO 3887:2023)
Aciers - Détermination de la profondeur de décarburation (ISO 3887:2023)
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN ISO 3887:2023
ICS:
77.040.99 Druge metode za Other methods of testing of
preskušanje kovin metals
77.080.20 Jekla Steels
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

EN ISO 3887
EUROPEAN STANDARD
NORME EUROPÉENNE
October 2023
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
ICS 77.040.99 Supersedes EN ISO 3887:2018
English Version
Steels - Determination of the depth of decarburization (ISO
3887:2023)
Aciers - Détermination de la profondeur de Stahl - Bestimmung der Entkohlungstiefe (ISO
décarburation (ISO 3887:2023) 3887:2023)
This European Standard was approved by CEN on 18 September 2023.

CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this
European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration. Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references
concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre or to any CEN
member.
This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by
translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC Management
Centre has the same status as the official versions.

CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and
United Kingdom.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION

EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG

CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2023 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. EN ISO 3887:2023 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

Contents Page
European foreword . 3

European foreword
This document (EN ISO 3887:2023) has been prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 17 "Steel" in
collaboration with Technical Committee CEN/TC 459/SC 1 “Test methods for steel (other than chemical
analysis)” the secretariat of which is held by AFNOR.
This European Standard shall be given the status of a national standard, either by publication of an
identical text or by endorsement, at the latest by April 2024, and conflicting national standards shall be
withdrawn at the latest by April 2024.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. CEN shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
This document supersedes EN ISO 3887:2018.
Any feedback and questions on this document should be directed to the users’ national standards
body/national committee. A complete listing of these bodies can be found on the CEN website.
According to the CEN-CENELEC Internal Regulations, the national standards organizations of the
following countries are bound to implement this European Standard: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria,
Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland,
Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of
North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and the
United Kingdom.
Endorsement notice
The text of ISO 3887:2023 has been approved by CEN as EN ISO 3887:2023 without any modification.

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 3887
Fourth edition
2023-09
Steels — Determination of the depth
of decarburization
Aciers — Détermination de la profondeur de décarburation
Reference number
ISO 3887:2023(E)
ISO 3887:2023(E)
© ISO 2023
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting on
the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address below
or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: +41 22 749 01 11
Email: copyright@iso.org
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii
ISO 3887:2023(E)
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Sampling . 2
5 Measuring methods . 2
5.1 General . 2
5.2 Metallographic method . 3
5.2.1 General . 3
5.2.2 Selection and preparation of the sample . 3
5.2.3 Measurement . 3
5.3 Methods for measuring the micro-indentation hardness . 5
5.3.1 General . 5
5.3.2 Selection and preparation of the sample . 6
5.3.3 Measurement . 6
5.4 Methods of determination of the carbon content . 7
5.4.1 General . 7
5.4.2 Chemical analysis . 8
5.4.3 Spectrographic analysis. 8
5.4.4 Interpretation of the results (chemical and spectrographic methods) . 8
5.4.5 Electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) . 8
5.4.6 Glow discharge optical emission spectrometry (GDOES) . 9
6 Test report . 9
Annex A (informative) Examples of typical decarburization microstructure .11
iii
ISO 3887:2023(E)
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out
through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical
committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International
organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work.
ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of
electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the
different types of ISO document should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
ISO draws attention to the possibility that the implementation of this document may involve the use
of (a) patent(s). ISO takes no position concerning the evidence, validity or applicability of any claimed
patent rights in respect thereof. As of the date of publication of this document, ISO had not received
notice of (a) patent(s) which may be required to implement this document. However, implementers are
cautioned that this may not represent the latest information, which may be obtained from the patent
database available at www.iso.org/patents. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all
such patent rights.
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and
expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to
the World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see
www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 17, Steel, Subcommittee SC 7, Methods
of testing (other than mechanical tests and chemical analysis), in collaboration with the European
Committee for Standardization (CEN) Technical Committee CEN/TC 459, ECISS - European Committee
for Iron and Steel Standardization, in accordance with the Agreement on technical cooperation between
ISO and CEN (Vienna Agreement).
This fourth edition cancels and replaces the third edition (ISO 3887:2017), which has been revised.
The main change is as follows:
— in 5.2.1 a NOTE was added concerning the use of automatic image analysis.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html.
iv
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 3887:2023(E)
Steels — Determination of the depth of decarburization
1 Scope
This document defines the decarburization and specifies three methods of measuring the depth of
decarburization of steel products.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 4545-1, Metallic materials — Knoop hardness test — Part 1: Test method
ISO 6507-1, Metallic materials — Vickers hardness test — Part 1: Test method
ISO 9556, Steel and iron — Determination of total carbon content — Infrared absorption method after
combustion in an induction furnace
ISO 14594, Microbeam analysis — Electron probe microanalysis — Guidelines for the determination of
experimental parameters for wavelength dispersive spectroscopy
ISO 14707, Surface chemical analysis — Glow discharge optical emission spectrometry (GD-OES) —
Introduction to use
ISO 15349-2, Unalloyed steel — Determination of low carbon content — Part 2: Infrared absorption method
after combustion in an induction furnace (with preheating)
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO O
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