The Effect Of Heat Treatment On The Microstructure Of Steel

1. Objectives
i. To study the effects of heat treatment on the microstructure of steel.
ii. To identify the microstructure of ferrite, pearlite, cementite, austenite and
martensite under microscopic view.
iii. To investigate the conventional heat treatment procedures, such as quenching and
annealing to prepare metallographic sample for microstructure observation.
2. Apparatus

Safety goggles marker pen sample nitrile hand gloves

Disposable face mask Cutting Machine mold release spray funnel

 3. Summary

Heat treatment is a combination of timed heating and cooling operations applied to a metal or
alloy in the solid state in such ways as to produce certain microstructures and desired properties.
Annealing, Normalizing, Quench Hardening, Tempering, and Austempering are five of the
important heat treatments often used to modify the microstructure and properties of steels.

Heat treatment process

a. Annealing
Annealing is a heat treatment process which alters the microstructure of a material to
change its mechanical or electrical properties. Typically, in steels, annealing is used to
reduce hardness, increase ductility and help eliminate internal stresses.

Process details

Annealing is a generic term and can be further classified according to temperature and
atmosphere.

For steels, subcritical annealing takes place at 1000°F – 1200°F, so there is no crystal structure
change. Intermediate annealing is carried out at 1200°F – 1400°F, so there is some
transformation to austenite and full annealing involves completely austenitizing the work at
1500°F – 1700°F.

Parts can be annealed in a vacuum or reducing atmosphere where a bright surface finish is
needed. Annealing in air is employed where surface finish is not an important factor and an
endothermic/neutral atmosphere may be used during annealing to control decarburisation.

b. Normalizing
Normalizing heat treatment is a heat treating process used to provide uniformity in grain
size and microstructure in some steel grades.
Normalizing is the process of heating a material to a temperature above a critical limit
and then cooling in open air. Normalizing maybe used as part of a 3 step heat treatment
process for high strength steels. This is the first step followed by austenitizing/quenching
and tempering. Normalizing can also be used for cast irons to produce more uniformity,
improved wear resistance, and increased hardness values.
 c. Quenching

Quenching is a type of metal heat treatment process. Quenching involves the rapid
cooling of a metal to adjust the mechanical properties of its original state. To perform the
quenching process, a metal is heated to a temperature greater than that of normal
conditions, typically somewhere above its recrystallization temperature but below its
melting temperature. The metal may be held at this temperature for a set time in order for
the heat to “soak” the material. Once the metal has been held at the desired temperature,
it is quenched in a medium until it returns to room temperature. The metal also may be
quenched for an extended period of time so that the coolness from the quenching process
is distributed throughout the thickness of the material.

Quenching Media
There are a variety of quenching media available that can perform the quenching process. Each
media has its own unique quenching properties

Air

Air is a popular quenching media used to cool metals for quenching. Affordability is one of the
main benefits of air; its affordability is a result of its profusion on earth. Air quenching is also
more intentionally performed when it is compressed and forced around the metal being
quenched. This cools the part more rapidly than still air, although even compressed air may still
cool many metals too slowly to alter the mechanical properties.

Oil
Oil is able to quench heated metals much more rapidly than compressed air. To quench with oil,
a heated part is lowered into a tank that is filled with some type of oil. The oil can also be flushed
through the part. Different types of oil are often used depending on the application because of
their varying cooling rates and flash points.

Water
Water is able to quench heated metals rapidly as well. It can cool a metal even faster than oil. In
a fashion similar to oil quenching, a tank is filled with water and the heated metal is submerged
in it. It can also be flushed through a part. One benefit of water is that flammability of the media
is not a concern.

Brine
Brine is a mixture of water and salt. Brine cools faster than air, water, and oil. The reason for this
is that the salt and water mixture discourages the formation of air globules when it is placed in
contact with a heated metal. This means that more of the surface area of the metal will be
covered with the liquid, as opposed to air bubbles.
Sample Preparation
a. Molding
Molding or moulding (see spelling differences) is the process of manufacturing by
shaping liquid or pliable raw material using a rigid frame called a mold or matrix.[1] This
itself may have been made using a pattern or model of the final object.
A mold or mould is a hollowed-out block that is filled with a liquid or pliable material
such as plastic, glass, metal, or ceramic raw material. The liquid hardens or sets inside the
mold, adopting its shape. A mold is the counterpart to a cast. The very common bi-valve
molding process uses two molds, one for each half of the object. Articulated
moulds have multiple pieces that come together to form the complete mold, and then
disassemble to release the finished casting.

b. Grinding
Grinding is an abrasive machining process that uses a grinding wheel or grinder as the
cutting tool. Grinding is a subset of cutting, as grinding is a true metal-cutting process.
Grinding is used to finish workpieces that must show high surface quality and high
accuracy of shape and dimension. It has some roughing applications in which grinding
removes high volumes of metal very rapidly.

c. Polishing

Polishing is finishing process for smoothing a workpiece's surface using an abrasive and
a work wheel or a leather strop. Technically polishing refers to processes that use an
abrasive that is glued to the work wheel. Polishing is often used to enhance the
appearance of an item, prevent contamination of instruments, remove oxidation, create a
reflective surface, or prevent corrosion in pipes. In metallography and metallurgy,
polishing is used to create a flat, defect-free surface for examination of a metal's
microstructure under a microscope.
d. Etching

Chemical etching is a high precision subtractive manufacturing process that uses baths of
temperature regulated etching chemicals to selectively remove material to produce high
precision metal parts in any desired shape.

4. Procedure

Cutting

a. The machine is switched on.

b. The sample is marked according to the size we want.
c. The machine safety cover is opened.
d. The sample is put at the gripper slot and the cutting position is checked by moving down
the cutting blade holder until the cutting blade parallel with the marked sample.
e. Then, the grippers is moved forward to grip the sample and the sample is locked.
f. The machine safety cover is closed and the start button is pushed at the right side of the
machine.
g. The sample is cut slowly until it is finished.
h. Then, the stop button is pushed at the right side of the machine.
i. The machine safety cover is opened and the working table is moved backward by using
the table spindle.
j. Both grippers are loosened and the sample is taken out.
k. The machine safety cover is closed and the machine is switched off.

Molding
a. The machine is switched on.
b. The mold release spray is sprayed on the ram surface and the sample is put on the
surface.
c. The ‘down’ button is pushed to move down the ram.
d. Then, one scoop of phenolic powder is put in the ram by using the funnel.
e. The machine cover is sprayed with the mold release spray and the ram is closed until
hand tight.
f. The button ‘run/stop’ is pressed to start the molding process.
g. After the process has completed, the button ‘down’ is pushed and hold to move down the
ram.
h. The cover is opened slowly and the cover holder is put.
i. The button ‘up’ is pushed and hold to move up the ram and the sample is taken out from
the machine.

Grinding

a. The water valve is turned on and the surface of the sand paper is wet equally.
b. Before starting the grinding process, the sectioning of the sample is checked. The
sectioning must be perpendicular to the position of the grinding process.
c. The sample is grinded one direction in a time with the water flowed continuously.
d. The grinding process started with 240 grit of sand paper and followed by 360 grit, 600
grit, 800 grit and 1200 grit.
e. The sample is grinded until the surface of the sample is smooth without any scratches.
f. The water valve is turned off after the grinding process is finished.

Polishing

a. The machine is switched on.

b. The polisher head is brought up and lock it by using the lever at the left side of polisher
head.

c. Using the low spin and clockwise rotation for the polishing table, which is the standard
setting for polishing process.

d. To start rotating the polisher table, press “RUN/STOP” button.

e. For the first stage of polishing, use 1µm DIAMAT Polycrystalline Diamond suspension.

f. Start the polishing process by hold and rub the sample surface on the polishing pad with
counter clockwise rotation. (Do not push the sample too rough to avoid the polishing pad
get ripped or the sample been damage.)
g. After done polishing the sample, the sample is rinsed with water and continue polish the
sample using the 3µm and 6µm DIAMAT Polycrystalline Diamond dilution.

h. Dry it using the dry air after done polishing with all dilution.

Etching

a. The fume hood suction motor and light is switched on.

b. The fume hood safety cover is opened slightly, and the sample in the etchant chemical
etches.

c. The fume hood safety cover is closed and wait for a few seconds.

d. Then, the fume hood cover is opened slightly and the sample is brought to the water
valve.

e. The sample is rinsed equally.

f. The water valve and fume hood safety cover is closed.

g. The sample is dried out using the dry air.

h. The surface of the sample is observed using the metallurgy microscope.

5. Result

Experimental final microstructure of sample.

Theoretical final microstructure of sample.