HEAT TREATMENT OF ALLOYS

Heat treatment is defined as an operation or a series of operations which

involves heating and cooling in the solid state ( without melting)

During heat treatment ( thermal treatment) the physical and mechanical

property of the alloy changes without any change in the bulk chemical
composition.

All metals and alloys are heat treated at some stage during processing.

Heat treatment is done to both harden and soften an alloy

Hardening is usually done to

Make the steel extra brittle

Increase abrasion resistance
Softening is usually done to

Remove internal stress

Increase machining ability

Increase ductility

Improve shock resistance

Reduce hardness

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The process is depicted in the following chart:

Heat Treatment

Hardening

Hardening

Softening

Case
hardening

Normalising

Annealing

Tempering

Carburising

Nitriding

Carbon nitriding

Cyaniding

Hardening of Steel

Normalising
Objective:

To make the alloy uniform throughout

To improve mechanical property

To remove internal stress

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Process:
Steel Normalized steel

Heat to50oC above Tc for 15 minutes.

Cooled freely in air gradually
Outcome:

Molecular structure changes

Strength and hardness increases

Ductility decreases
Uses of treated alloy:

Engineering works ( Structural material like rods)
Hardening or Quenching
Objective:

To strengthen and relieve internal stress

To increase hardness and toughness

To increase abrasion resistance
Process:
Steel Hardened steel

Heat above Tc to get uniform solid solution

Cooled suddenly / rapidly with oil / water / brine / fused salt bath
Outcome:

Brittleness and hardness increases

Grain size decreases
Uses of treated alloy:

For making cutting tools ( Chisel, blade , cutters etc.)

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Case Hardening / Surface Hardening

Objective:
To harden the surface without any change in the bulk ( to get super hard
surface)
Process:
Steel Surface modified steel

Heat to 500-950oC in presence of energizer ( a source of C / N or
both ) in an iron box.

Cooled slowly within the box
Outcome:

Hardness and corrosion resistance increases
Uses of treated alloy

To make gear teeth, Shafts, lathe beds, railway tracks etc.
Case hardening is done by the following methods
(i) Carburising

Mild steel article is enclosed in a cast iron box, rich in carbon

Heat it to 900 950oC and allow it for some time at that temperature,
hence carbon gets absorbed.

Cool slowly, within the box

Outer surface of the article is converted into high carbon steel (0.8
1.2%)

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(ii) Nitriding

Effective for Alloy steels

Metal alloy is heated in presence of ammonia at 550oC

Nitrogen obtained by the dissociation of ammonia combines with the
surface constituents of the alloy to form extremely hard nitrides

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(iii) Cyaniding:

Effective for low or medium carbon steels

The metal is immersed in a molten salt containing cyanide ( KCN /
NaCN) at 870oC

Quench in oil or water

The hard surface is produced, due to the absorption of carbon and
nitrogen by the metal surface.
(iv) Carbon Nitriding:

Process is suitable for low carbon alloy steels

The parts are heated in an atmosphere of carburizing gas and
ammonia

Carbon nitriding is done at a temperature of 760 870oC

It is then quenched in a natural gas atmosphere.

In the process both carbon and nitrogen are diffused into the surface

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SOFTENING OF STEEL
Annealing
Objective:

To improve machining ability and facilitate cold shaping

To remove imprisoned gases
Process:
Steel Annealed steel

Appropriate temperature

Very slow cooling in inert atmosphere in a furnace
Outcome:

Decreases hardness and makes steel softer

Ductility and shock resistance increases

Increases machinability
Uses of treated alloy:

Draw into wires which are used to make fence and mesh
Types of Annealing

Low temperature annealing heating below Tc followed by slow
cooling

It improves machinability by relieving the internal stress

It increases ductility and shock resistance

It reduces hardness

High temperature annealing heating 20-30oC above Tc

It increases the ductility and machinability

It makes steel softer, and increases its toughness

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Tempering
Objective:

To reduce brittleness and hardness of hardened steel

To remove internal stress
Process
Hardened Steel Tempered steel

Heat below hardening temperature

Slow cooling
Outcome:

Brittleness and hardness decreases

Toughness and ductility increases
Uses of treated alloy:

For making cutting tools (chisel, blade, cutters etc.)
PS: Tc of Steel is 724OC . It is the temperature above which phase
transformation occurs on heating or cooling an alloy.

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