©2014 IJIRT | Volume 1 Issue 2 | ISSN: 2349-6002
Study the effect of hardness of steel by Annealing and
Normalizing during hot Rolling Processes
Pradip A.Dahiwade, Sudhir Shrivastava& N.K.Sagar
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Sagar Institute of Research & Technology-Excellence, Bhopal, India
Abstract:Annealing primarily is the process of
heating a metal which is in a metastable or
distortion structural state, to a temperature which
will remove the instability or distortion and then
cooling it (usually at a slow rate) so that the room
temperature structure is stable and/or strain free.
Normalizing or air quenching consists in heating
steel to about 40-500c above its upper critical
temperature (A3 and Am lime) and if necessary,
holding it at that temperature for a short time and
then cooling in still air at room temperature.
Key words:Sample of steels of suitable sizes,
electric furnace, hardness tester, microscope, etc.
I. INTRODUCTION
Annealing is a heat treatment operation applied to
steel for reliving internal stresses, which may be
developed during cold working, casting, quenching.
The term annealing is understood to mean the heating
of steel above the temperature of phase
transformation followed by slow cooling. The
annealing temperature may be 20-500C above AC3
for hypereutectoid steel and in between AC1&ACm
for hypereutectoid steel. The holding time for the part
at the annealing temperature should be heated
uniformly from the surface to the center and the
temperature must be uniform from the surface to the
center of the mass. The part may be cooled in the
furnace or by dumping it in ash, sand or lime.
After annealing value of hardness of specimen is 55
HRC as compared to untreated specimen annealed
specimen becomes softer. Therefore specimen
machinability properties increase. We used HRA
scale because after annealing EN-31 becomes soft
and below 20 HR value HRC scale is not gives the
accurate value and also value is not valid.
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The sample , after machining were heated to 9500C a
temperature in the region of 30 – 500C above the A1
line of the Fe – Fe3C phase diagram. At 9500C the
sample was held for 1 hour to ensure through
homogeneity, then the furnace was switched off, so
that the furnace and sample temperature gradually
decrease to room temp. The specimen was taken out
of the furnace after 48 hours of gradual loss of heat
when the furnace temps. would have attain the
normal room temperature.
To improve the machinability of steel annealing
hypereutetoid spheroidize applied. This process will
produce a round shape or a ball l of carbide in the
ferritic matrix which makes the machine easy. At the
high temperature will break pearl tic structure and
cementite network, this structure is called spheroid
tie. This structure is desirable for the violence
acquired a minimum with maximum ductility and
maximum machinability. Low carbon steel spheroid
zed rare for machines, because they are too soft and
sickly in spheoridized conditions. Cutting tools will
tend to push the material rather than cut causing
excessive heat and wear on the cutting edge.
Recrystallization annealing is frequently applied in
the production of cold-rolled steel strip, in deep
drawing and in wir3 drawing operations as an
intermediate process with the aim of increasing the
plasticity of the steel. According to academician A.
Bashar the recrystallization annealing temperature
can be determined from the formula
Trc = 0.4Tm
Where,
Tm = absolute melting temp. of the given
metal.
II. PURPOSE OF ANNEALING
1) Refining and homogenizing the structure
2) Reducing hardness
 ©2014 IJIRT | Volume 1 Issue 2 | ISSN: 2349-6002

3) Improving machinability temperature followed by cooling in air to room

4) Introducing a complete stable structure.
5) Improve cold working for fascinating better
cold work.
6)Producing desired microstructure.
7)Removing residual stresses.
8)Removing gases.
9)Improving mechanical, physical, electrical and
magnetic properties.
III. NORMALIZING
Normalizing consist in heating steel to about 40-
500C above the upper critical temperature ( AC3 &
ACm line) and it is necessary holding it at that
temperature for a short time and it is cooling in air at
room temperature. Normalizing differs from
annealing in that the rate of cooling is more rapid and
there is no intended soaking period. The type of
structure obtained by normalizing will depend largely
on the thickness of this cross-section and this will
affect the rate of cooling. This section will give a
much final grains, thick section. Normalizing
produces microstructure consisting ferrite (White
network) & pearlite (darkness) for hypo eutectoid (up
to 0.8%C) steels. For eutectoid steels the
microstructure is only pearlite and it is dark and
cementite and pearlite for hypereutectoid steels.
temperature (Qamar, 2009). Normalizing is often
considered from both a thermal and a micro structural
standpoint. In the thermal sense, normalizing is
austenitizing followed by a relatively slow cool
(Rajan et al, 1994).
IV. PURPOSE OF NORMALIZING
1) To produce a uniform structure.
2)To refine the grain size of steel, which may
have been unduly coarse ad at the forging or
rolling temperature?
3)To achieve required strength and ductility in
steel i.e. to improve machinability.
4)To reduce internal stresses.
5)To improve structure in weld.
6)It produces harder and strong steel than that
produced after full annealing.
7)Eliminate the carbide network at the grain
boundaries in hyper eutectoid steel.
8)In general improves engineering properties of
steel.

Normalizing temperature is higher than the annealing

temp. It is applied to steels which do not harden on
air quenching. Properties obtained by normalizing
depend upon the size and composition of steel piece.
Smaller piece cool rapidly, fine pearlite is formed and
thus they (Smaller pieces are harden than the large
pieces.) Normalizing is used for grain refinement in
cast steels and welding assemblies.

Normalizing/stress relieving involves heating to a

suitable temperature, holding long enough to reduce
residual stresses, and then cooling slowly enough to
minimize the development of new residual stresses. It
relieves the stresses that occur as a result of the
spring forming operations. It also returns the material
to the strength levels prior to the forming operation
and can actually increase the strength to levels
greater than originally supplied (Fayol et al., 1985)

The normalizing of steel is carried out by heating

approximately 1000F (380C) above the upper critical

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 ©2014 IJIRT | Volume 1 Issue 2 | ISSN: 2349-6002

V. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ANNEALING &

NORMALIZING

Sr.No.
Annealing Normalizing
1 Temp. ranges: Temp. ranges A3 +
A3+30 – 400C for 30 -400C hypo
hypo eutectoid steel eutectoid steel ACm
A1 + 30 -400C for + 30 – 400C for
hypereutectoid hypereutectoid steel.
steel.
2 Cooling is done in Cooling is done in
furnace itself by air. Faster cooling
switching off the rate.
supply. Slower
cooling rate.
3 Less hardness, T.S, Slightly more
and toughness. hardness, T.S and
toughness.
4 Microstructure Microstructure
shows pearlite shows more pearlite
which is coarse and which is fine and
gets resolved by unresolved with
optical microscope. optical microscope.
5 Uniform Slightly less uniform
Fig. Shows the Heat-Treatment Process of distribution of distribution of
Annealing and Normalizing. grains. grains.
6 Internal stresses are Internal stresses are
least. slightly more.

VI. PROCEDURE

To study the effect of annealing and normalizing on

structure and hardness of steel, 6 samples from the
same bar of required length are cut out of these six
samples are prepared to see microstructure before
heat treatment by usual manner. First the faces of
round bar are made flat on a machine driven by
emery belt. After this rough and fine polishing is
done on 0, 0/1, 0/2, 0/3, 0/4 paper, polishing on
polishing dies. To see microstructure the same is
etched by 5% nital solution. Hardness is measure
from the second sample on Rockwell hardness tester
on Ro scale and recorded as shown in observation.

Removing four samples are placed in the furnace

which is added 8500C. After soaking 1Hr, two
samples are taken out and cool in air. This process is
known as normalizing. From annealing after soaking
1Hr. in furnace, the furnace is put off and the samples
are allowed to cool in the furnace. One from
normalized and on from annealing is prepared to see
Fig. Show after heat treatment process of cooling
microstructure and from removing hardness is
or soaking time (hrs.).

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 ©2014 IJIRT | Volume 1 Issue 2 | ISSN: 2349-6002

measured. The micro-structure and hardness are shown in observation.

VII. OBSERVATION

Hardness
Sr.
Type of heat After Average
No Materials Before Hardening After Hardening heat
treatment
treatment

A) 20 Rc

19 Rc
20 Rc
B) 20 Rc
1 Steel Annealing 22 Rc 62 Rc
20 Rc
21 Rc
21 Rc

21 Rc

A)31 Rc

32 Rc
34 Rc
33 Rc
2 Steel Normalizing 25 Rc 62 Rc
B)36 Rc

37 Rc
37 Rc
38 Rc

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 ©2014 IJIRT | Volume 1 Issue 2 | ISSN: 2349-6002

VIII. MECHANICAL PROPERTIES AFTER interface, which makes the total energy of the system
PRE- HEAT TREATMENT reduce in annealed condition. The granular pearlite
has a lower hardness and strength but it is a higher
Tensile strength increases and the elongation plasticity. The plasticity of granular pearlite is better
decreases with the decrease of cooling rate. The than that of lamellar pearlite because of separated
cooling rate has minor effect on the yield strength. effect of cementite on ferrite matrix dramatically
Generally the material with good cold working weakness. In the case of ferrite decreases that pearlite
performance have the properties like small carbide increases with decrease of annealing cooling rate. It
grains, low tensile and yield strength and high increases the tensile strength and decreases of
elongation. Thus annealing process is more elongation. The practical size of ferrite grain
conductive to cold working. It can be compared to increases with decrease of cooling rate which also
lamellar pearlite, granular pearlite has smaller phase contributes to decrease of plasticity.
IX. MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF NORMALIZED AND ANNEALED STEELS

Yield point Tensile Strength Elongation Reduction

Carbon % 1,000 psi 1,000 psi % in 2 IN in Area % BHN
Normalized (hot
– rolled steel)
0.01 26 45 45 71 90
0.20 45 64 35 60 120
0.40 51 85 27 43 165
0.60 60 109 19 28 220
0.80 70 134 13 18 260
1.00 100 150 7 11 295
1.20 100 153 3 6 315
1.40 96 148 1 3 300
Annealed
0.01 18 41 47 71 90
0.20 36 59 37 64 115
0.40 44 75 30 48 145
0.60 49 96 23 33 190
0.80 52 115 15 22 220
1.00 52 108 22 26 195
1.20 51 102 24 39 200
1.40 50 99 19 25 215

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 ©2014 IJIRT | Volume 1 Issue 2 | ISSN: 2349-6002

X. CONCLUSION 8) WEI Wen-ting, WU Min,” Effect of annealing

cooling rate on microstructure and mechanical
The hardness of steel sample after normalizing is property of 100 Cr 6 Steel ring manufactured by cold
higher than found in annealing because the cooling ring rolling process.” Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.
rate is faster in normalizing and not in annealing. 2014.
Also the microstructure of normalized sample of steel
contains finer grains as compared with annealed steel 9)Sidney H Avner,” Introduction to physical
structure. Metallurgy.”

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 10)O.R.Adetunji, PhD.,S.I.Kuye, PhD: andM.J.Alao,

B.Eng.”Microstructures of Mild Steel Spring after
The author is thankful to Mr. HiwarajKawale, Heat Treatment.” Mechanical Engineering
Quality Control In charge, ShardaIspat Ltd., Buttibori Department, College of Engineering, Federal
M.I.D.C., Nagpur, and also thankful to Prof. University of Agriculture Abeokuta (FUNAAB),
Manohar P. Bhagat, PRINCIPAL, Aniruddha College PMB 2240, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria.
of Science, Kalamb, SGB, Amravati University and
thankful to Prof. ChandrakantD.Agrawal 11)O.P.Khanna.” A text book of material science and
PRINCIPAL of JainuudinZaweri Polytechnic, metallurgy”.
Chandrapur( Maharashtra).

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