5/11/2017 SouthwestSpecialtyHeatTreat,Inc.

Heattreatmentofsteelisessentiallyprocessingtoincreasethehardness,
durability,andusefulnessofthemetal.Toachievethisresult,thesteelused
musthaveacertainproportionofalloyingelementssothathardeningand
temperingoccurasthevariouselementsareheatedandcooledunder
controlledconditions.Thechemicalelementsinvolvedaretheatomsofthe
metalswhichmakeupthesteelitselfandtheatomsofcarbon,whichare
suspendedinthesteel,butarenotmixedwiththemetalatoms.Thebondingof
themetalatomswiththecarbonatomsformsmetalcarbidesandthisiswhat
changesthecharacterofthesteelandimprovesthesteelforcertainuses.

Moststeelispurchasedinitssofteststate,orwhatisknownastheannealed
state.Sincethisisthesofteststate,itisalsothebeststateformachiningsteel.Oncethemachininghasbeen
done,however,itisoftendesirabletomakethesteelharderandmoredurable.Toaccomplishthis,heatis
usedandthisiswhereheattreatmentbegins.

Eachsteelhasacriticaltemperaturerange,whichisthetemperatureatwhichthesteelgoesintosolid
solution.Chemically,thisiswheretheatomsofthemetalsandtheatomsofcarboninthesteelmixfreely
andultimatelybondtogether.Lowercriticaltemperatureistheheatatwhichthisprocessbegins.Upper
criticaltemperatureistheheatwhichmustbereachedtoensurethattheprocesshasbeencompleted.The
steelisactuallyheatedtoatemperatureslightlyaboveuppercriticaltemperature.Dependingontheanalysis
ofthesteel,thistemperaturewillusuallyrangefrom1500to2300Fahrenheit.Steelthatisheatedtothe
criticaltemperatureiscalledausteniteorisintheausteniticstate.

Justasheatingtothepropertemperatureiscrucialtothesuccessoftheheat
treatmentprocess,coolingattheproperrateisalsoessential.Iftheatoms
whicharebondedtogetherduringtheprocessofheatingarenotcooled
properly,theywillnotstaybonded,andthedesirablepropertiesofthesteel
willbelost.Steelwhichhasbeenheatedtouppercriticaltemperature
(austenite)iscooledundercontrolledconditionsusingvariouscoolingmedia
suchasoil,water,orair.Oncesteelhasbeencooledunderproperconditions,
itiscalledmartensiteorisinthemartensiticstate.

Steelthathasbeentreatedandcooledasdescribedabove(martensite)isvery
hardandbrittleuntilitundergoesanotherprocesscalledtempering.The
temperingprocessissimplyreheatingthesteeltoatemperaturewhichisalwayslowerthanthelowercritical
temperature.Thistoughensandusuallysoftensthesteel.Somesteelsrequireonetemperotherrequiretwo
orsometimesthreetemperstofullytemperthebrittlemartensite.

Steelsthathavebeensubjectedtotheaboveprocedureshavebeenfullyheattreated.Thisprovidessteeltools
thatareoptimallyusefulinmanufacturing.

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