Boronizing powder compositions for improved boride layer quality in oil country tubular goods and other metal articles

A process comprising:

• placing a boronizing powder composition inside a metal pipe comprising a first end, a second end, an inside surface and an outside surface;
• and
• heating the pipe to a temperature from 1400° F. to 1900° F., thereby forming a borided layer on the inside surface, and generating spent reaction gases and spent boriding powder;
• wherein a powder displacement insert is positioned inside the metal pipe prior to placing powder in the metal pipe, so that the powder boronizing composition is located in an annular space between the outside surface of the powder displacement insert and the interior surface of the metal pipe.

A boronizing powder composition comprising:

• a. 0.5 to 3.0 wt % of a boron source selected from B4C, amorphous boron, calcium hexaboride, Borax or mixtures thereof;
• b. 1.0 to 15.0 wt % of an activator selected from KBF4, ammonia chloride, cryolite, sodium fluoride, ammonium bifluoride, potassium fluoride, calcium fluoride, or mixtures thereof;
• and
• c. 82.0 to 98.5 wt % of a stream selected from sintering reduction agents, diluents or mixtures thereof, the sintering reduction agents being selected from carbon black, graphite, activated carbon, charcoal or mixtures thereof, and the diluents being selected from SiC, alumina, zirconia or mixtures thereof.