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HEAT TREATMENT
ANNEALING
TYPES OF ANNEALING
FULL ANNEALING- THE PROCESS INVOLVES HEATING THE STEEL TO 30
TO 50 DEGREES CENTIGRADE ABOVE THE CRITICAL TEMPERATURE OF
STEEL AND MAINTAINING THE TEMPERATURE FOR A SPECIFIED PERIOD
OF TIME, THEN ALLOWING THE MATERIAL TO SLOWLY COOL DOWN
INSIDE THE FURNACE ITSELF WITHOUT ANY FORCED MEANS OF
COOLING.
PROCESS ANNEALING- THIS PROCESS IS MAINLY SUITED FORLOW
CARBON STEEL. THE MATERIAL IS HEATED UP TO A TEMPERATURE JUST
BELOW THE LOWER CRITICAL TEMPERATURE OF STEEL. COLD WORKED
STEEL NORMALLY TENDS TO POSSES INCREASED HARDNESS AND
DECREASE DUCTILITY MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO WORK.
TYPES OF ANNEALING
STRESS RELIEF ANNEALING-THIS PROCESS INVOLVES HEATING THE CASTING
OR STRUCTURE TO ABOUT 650 DEGREE CENTIGRADE. THE TEMPERATURE IS
MAINTAINED CONSTANTLY FOR A FEW HOURS AND ALLOWED TO COOL DOWN
SLOWLY.
SPHERODISE ANNEALING- THIS IS A PROCESS FOR HIGH CARBON AND
ALLOY STEEL IN ORDER TO IMPROVE THEIR MACHINABILITY. THE PROCESS
TENDS TO IMPROVE THE INTERNAL STRUCTURE OF THE STEEL.
ISOTHERMAL ANNEALINGTHIS IS A PROCESS WHERE STEEL IS HEATED
ABOVE THE UPPER CRITICAL TEMPERATURE. THIS CAUSES THE STRUCTURE OF
THE STEEL TO BE CONVERTED RAPIDLY INTO AUSTENITE STRUCTURE.
NORMALIZING
IS A HEAT TREATMENT PROCESS FOR MAKING MATERIAL SOFTER BUT
DOES NOT PRODUCE THE UNIFORM MATERIAL PROPERTIES OF
ANNEALING. A MATERIAL CAN BE NORMALIZED BY HEATING IT TO A
SPECIFIC TEMPERATURE AND THEN LETTING THE MATERIAL COOL TO
ROOM TEMPERATURE OUTSIDE OF THE OVEN. THIS TREATMENT REFINES
THE GRAIN SIZE AND IMPROVES THE UNIFORMITY OF MICROSTRUCTURE
AND PROPERTIES OF HOT ROLLED STEEL. THIS PROCESS IS LESS
EXPENSIVE THAN ANNEALING.
PLATE MILLS
PRODUCTION OF LARGE FORGINGS SUCH AS RAILROAD WHEELS AND
AXLES
SOME BAR PRODUCTS
is a method of heat
treatment used to make
metals ductile and less
hard.
Cooling Process
Hardness
HARDENING
TYPES OF HARDENING
DIFFERENTIAL HARDENING-THIS TECHNIQUE USES AN INSULATING LAYER, LIKE LAYERS
OF CLAY, TO COVER THE AREAS THAT ARE TO REMAIN SOFT. THE AREAS TO BE HARDENED
ARE LEFT EXPOSED, ALLOWING ONLY CERTAIN PARTS OF THE STEEL TO FULLY HARDEN
WHEN QUENCHED.
FLAME HARDENING- IS USED TO HARDEN ONLY A PORTION OF A METAL. UNLIKE
DIFFERENTIAL HARDENING, WHERE THE ENTIRE PIECE IS HEATED AND THEN COOLED AT
DIFFERENT RATES, IN FLAME HARDENING, ONLY A PORTION OF THE METAL IS HEATED
BEFORE QUENCHING. THIS IS USUALLY EASIER THAN DIFFERENTIAL HARDENING, BUT
OFTEN PRODUCES AN EXTREMELY BRITTLE ZONE BETWEEN THE HEATED METAL AND THE
UNHEATED METAL, AS COOLING AT THE EDGE OF THIS HEAT AFFECTED ZONEIS
EXTREMELY RAPID.
INDUCTION HARDENING- IS ASURFACE HARDENINGTECHNIQUE IN WHICH THE
SURFACE OF THE METAL IS HEATED VERY QUICKLY, USING A NO-CONTACT METHOD
OFINDUCTION HEATING. THE ALLOY IS THEN QUENCHED, PRODUCING A MARTENSITE
TRANSFORMATION AT THE SURFACE WHILE LEAVING THE UNDERLYING METAL
UNCHANGED. THIS CREATES A VERY HARD, WEAR RESISTANT SURFACE WHILE
MAINTAINING THE PROPER TOUGHNESS IN THE MAJORITY OF THE OBJECT.
TEMPERING
TEMPERING INVOLVES HEATING STEEL THAT HAS BEEN QUENCHED AND
HARDENED FOR AN ADEQUATE PERIOD OF TIME SO THAT THE METAL CAN
BE EQUILIBRATED. THE HARDNESS AND STRENGTH OBTAINED DEPEND
UPON THE TEMPERATURE AT WHICH TEMPERING IS CARRIED OUT.
LOW TEMPERING TEMPERATURES WILL PRODUCE LOW DUCTILITY, BUT
HIGH STRENGTH AND HARDNESS. IN PRACTICE, APPROPRIATE
TEMPERING TEMPERATURES ARE SELECTED THAT WILL PRODUCE THE
DESIRED LEVEL OF HARDNESS AND STRENGTH. THIS OPERATION IS
PERFORMED ON ALL CARBON STEELS THAT HAVE BEEN HARDENED, IN
ORDER TO REDUCE THEIR BRITTLENESS, SO THAT THEY CAN BE USED
EFFECTIVELY IN DESIRED APPLICATIONS.
TYPES OF TEMPERING
DIFFERENTIAL TEMPERING- IS A METHOD OF PROVIDING DIFFERENT AMOUNTS OF TEMPER
TO DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE STEEL. THE METHOD WAS OFTEN USED INBLACKSMITHING FOR
MAKINGKNIVESANDSWORDS, TO PROVIDE A VERY HARD EDGE WHILE SOFTENING THE SPINE
OR CENTER OF THE BLADE. THIS INCREASED THE TOUGHNESS WHILE MAINTAINING A VERY
HARD, SHARP, IMPACT-RESISTANT EDGE, HELPING TO PREVENT BREAKAGE.
AUSTEMPERING -IS A TECHNIQUE USED TO FORM PURE BAINITE, A TRANSITIONAL
MICROSTRUCTURE FOUND BETWEENPEARLITEAND MARTENSITE. AUSTEMPERING PRODUCES
GREATER STRENGTH AND TOUGHNESS FOR A GIVEN HARDNESS, WHICH IS DETERMINED
MOSTLY BY COMPOSITION RATHER THAN COOLING SPEED, AND REDUCED INTERNAL STRESSES
WHICH COULD LEAD TO BREAKAGE. THIS PRODUCES STEEL WITH SUPERIOR IMPACT
RESISTANCE.
MARTEMPERING -IS SIMILAR TO AUSTEMPERING, IN THAT THE STEEL IS QUENCHED IN A BATH
OF MOLTEN METAL OR SALTS TO QUICKLY COOL IT PAST THE PEARLITE-FORMING RANGE.
HOWEVER, IN MARTEMPERING, THE GOAL IS TO CREATE MARTENSITE RATHER THAN BAINITE.
STRESS RELIEVING
CASE HARDENING
TRANSPORTATION- VEHICLES
ENERGY GENERATION- WIND TURBINE GENERATORS, PROPELLER
DRIVES OF DRILLING RIGS, STEAM-TURBINE GEARS OF POWER STATION.
GENERAL MECHANICAL ENGINEERING- FORGING PRESSES, METAL
ROLLING EQUIPMENT, MACHINE TOOLS; DRIVELINES OF MINING
EQUIPMENT AND HEAVY DUTY TRANSMISSIONS
HARDNESS