Heat Treatment of Metals

Normalizing Page 1

Objective
EFFECT OF AUSTENITIZING ON ANNEALING CHARACTERISTIC
Apparatus
Muffle furnace
3 Samples steel AISI
Brinell hardness machine
Theory
Introduction
The normalizing of steel is carried out by heating approximately 100F above the upper critical temperature
(A
3
or Acm) line followed cooling in still air to room temperature. Normalizing of steel is a heat-treating
process that is often considered from both thermal and microstructural standpoints.
Through normalizing steel which is produced, has more strength than annealing. Therefore it is heated in
proper austenitizing temperature. So that in some application normalizing is final heat treatment. Therefore,
for hypereutectoid steels, it is necessary to heat above the Acm line in order to dissolve the cementite
network, and for hypoeutectoid it is heated above A3 line.


Figure 1 Partial iron-iron carbide phase diagram showing typical normalizing range for plain carbon steel
As compare to annealing, in which samples are heated above A3 or A3,1 line pearlitic transformation will
began comparatively late than normalizing.
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Normalizing is also frequently thought of in terms of microstructure. The areas of the microstructure that
contain about 0.8% C are pearlitic (lamellae of ferrite and iron carbide). The areas that are low in carbon are
ferritic (body-centered cubic, or bcc, crystal structure). In hypereutectoid steels, proeutectoid iron carbide
first forms along austenite grain boundaries. This transformation continues until the carbon level in the
austenite reaches approximately 0.8%, at which time a eutectoid reaction begins as indicated by the
formation of pearlite. Air-hardening steels are excluded from the class of normalized steels because they do
not exhibit the normal pearlitic microstructure that characterizes normalized steels.
Micro structure of normalized samples
In normalizing cooling time is less as compare to annealing so carbon atoms have less time for diffusion
than annealing. Normalized sample has microstructure pearlite and ferrite but pearlite formed more than
equilibrium amount. Less time is involve fine structure is obtain than annealed.

Figure 2: Comparison of time-temperature cycles for normalizing and full annealing.


Figure 3 Schematic picture of the difference in pearlitic tructure due to annealing and normalizing

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Mechanical properties related to normalizing
Normalizing improves mechanical properties like hardness, impact strength. The purpose of normalizing
varies considerably. Normalization may increase or decrease the strength and hardness of a given steel in a
given product form, depending on the thermal and mechanical history of the product. Actually, the functions
of normalizing may overlap with or be confused with those of annealing, hardening, and stress relieving.
Improved machinability, grain-structure refinement, homogenization, and modification of residual stresses
are among the reasons normalizing is done.
Procedure
Took a steel rod of steel of grade AISI 1045 and cut in to pieces of inch
Raised the temperature of furnace up to 850C and placed samples.
After 45 minutes we drawn out one sample and placed it outside from furnace for normalizing.
After removing first samples we raised the temperature of furnace up to 900 and 950 for 2
nd
and 3
rd

samples respectively. Drew out 2
nd
and 3
rd
samples with 30 and 20 minutes time interval
respectively.
After normalizing find the Brinell hardness number
Observation
Table 1 temperature and hardness data obtain
Sr.
no
Temperature
o
C
Starting time

End time

Soaking
time
min
Indent dia
mm
BHN

HRC
01 850 45
3.8
254.73 25.4
02 900 30
3.4
320.74 34
03 950 20
3.4
320.74 34

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Results
Hardness increases with increasing austenitizing temperature. Because homogenization of austenite is occurs
and refine of grains is also done. But there is a limitation of refinement after a certain temperature grain
coarsening starts which decrease the hardness.
References
Introduction-to-Physical-Metallurgy-Avner
Heat treatment principal and techniques
Heat Treating was published in 1991 as Volume 4 of the ASM Handbook. The Volume was prepared under
the direction of the ASM Handbook Committee.
G. Krauss, Steels: Heat Treatment and Processing Principles

0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
840 860 880 900 920 940 960
H
R
c

B
H
N

temperature