HEAT TREATMENT

AYALA, ARCH JOSEPH V.

YAMADA, YOSHIKAZU E.

HEAT TREATMENT

IS A GROUP OF INDUSTRIAL AND METALWORKING PROCESSES USED TO

ALTER THE PHYSICAL, AND SOMETIMES CHEMICAL, PROPERTIES OF A
MATERIAL.
HEAT TREATMENT INVOLVES THE USE OF HEATING OR CHILLING,
NORMALLY TO EXTREME TEMPERATURES, TO ACHIEVE A DESIRED RESULT
SUCH AS HARDENING OR SOFTENING OF A MATERIAL.

ANNEALING

INMETALLURGYANDMATERIALS SCIENCE, IS AHEAT TREATMENTTHAT

ALTERS THE PHYSICAL AND SOMETIMES CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF A
MATERIAL TO INCREASE ITSDUCTILITYAND REDUCE ITS HARDNESS,
MAKING IT MORE WORKABLE. IT INVOLVES HEATING A MATERIAL TO
ABOVE ITSRECRYSTALLIZATIONTEMPERATURE, MAINTAINING A SUITABLE
TEMPERATURE, AND THEN COOLING.

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.

APPLICATION AND USES:

PLATE MILLS
PRODUCTION OF LARGE FORGINGS SUCH AS RAILROAD WHEELS AND
AXLES
SOME BAR PRODUCTS

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN: ANNEALING AND

NORMALIZING
Definition
Annealing

is a method of heat
treatment used to make
metals ductile and less
hard.

Normalizing is a type of annealing

process which is only
specific to ferrous alloys.

Cooling Process

Hardness

the metals can be cooled

down after heating either
by cooling them in the air
or quenching them in
water.

The metals are made

to be less hard and
ductile after

it is important that the

cooling process takes
place slowly, thats why it
is always cooled in air and
not quenched in water.

The alloys remain

harder
afternormalizingwh
en compared to a full
annealing process.

HARDENING

INVOLVES HEATING OF STEEL, KEEPING IT AT AN APPROPRIATE

TEMPERATURE UNTIL ALL PEARLITE IS TRANSFORMED INTO AUSTENITE,
AND THEN QUENCHING IT RAPIDLY IN WATER OR OIL. THE TEMPERATURE
AT WHICH AUSTENTIZING RAPIDLY TAKES PLACE DEPENDS UPON THE
CARBON CONTENT IN THE STEEL USED. THE HEATING TIME SHOULD BE
INCREASED ENSURING THAT THE CORE WILL ALSO BE FULLY
TRANSFORMED INTO AUSTENITE. THE MICROSTRUCTURE OF A
HARDENED STEEL PART IS FERRITE, MARTENSITE, OR CEMENTITE.

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.

APPLICATIONS AND USES:

CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS - HIGH STRENGTH REDUCES THE NEED FOR
MATERIAL THICKNESS WHICH GENERALLY SAVES WEIGHT AND COST.
MACHINE CUTTING TOOLS (DRILL BITS, TAPS, LATHE TOOLS) NEED BE
MUCH HARDER THAN THE MATERIAL THEY ARE OPERATING ON IN ORDER
TO BE EFFECTIVE.
KNIFE BLADES A HIGH HARDNESS BLADE KEEPS A SHARP EDGE.
BEARINGS NECESSARY TO HAVE A VERY HARD SURFACE THAT WILL
WITHSTAND CONTINUED STRESSES.
ARMOR PLATING - HIGH STRENGTH IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT BOTH FOR
BULLET PROOF PLATES AND FOR HEAVY DUTY CONTAINERS FOR MINING
AND CONSTRUCTION.

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.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN: HARDENING AND

TEMPERING

TEMPERING IS A LOW TEMPERATURE HEAT TREATMENT PROCESS

NORMALLY PERFORMED AFTER A HARDENING PROCESS IN ORDER TO
REACH A DESIRED HARDNESS/TOUGHNESS RATIO.

STRESS RELIEVING

STRESS RELIEVING IS CARRIED OUT ON METAL PRODUCTS IN ORDER TO

MINIMIZE RESIDUAL STRESSES IN THE STRUCTURE THEREBY REDUCING
THE RISK OF DIMENSIONAL CHANGES DURING FURTHER
MANUFACTURING OR FINAL USE OF THE COMPONENT.

CASE HARDENING

CASE HARDENING IS ALSO A TYPE OF HARDENING THAT IN WHICH THE

METAL SURFACE IS REINFORCED BY THE ADDING OF A FINE LAYER AT THE
TOP OF ANOTHER METAL ALLOY THAT IS GENERALLY MORE DURABLE.

APPLICATION AND USES:

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

IT IS THE PROPERTY OF A METAL, WHICH GIVES IT THE ABILITY TO

RESIST BEING PERMANENTLY, DEFORMED (BENT, BROKEN, OR HAVE ITS
SHAPE CHANGED), WHEN A LOAD IS APPLIED. THE GREATER THE
HARDNESS OF THE METAL, THE GREATER RESISTANCE IT HAS TO
DEFORMATION.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HARDNESS AND

TENSILE STRENGTH

BOTH HARDNESS AND STRENGTH ARE THE IMPORTANT PROPERTIES OF

MATERIALS, AND THEY OFTEN OBEY THE THREE TIMES EMPIRICAL
RELATIONSHIP IN WORK-HARDENED METALS AND SOME BULK METALLIC
GLASSES (BMGS). TENSILE STRENGTH IS THE CAPACITY OF THE MATERIAL
OR STRUCTURE TO WITHSTAND LOADS TENDING TO ELONGATE WHILE
HARDNESS IS THE CAPACITY OF THE MATERIAL OR STRUCTURE TO
RESIST DEFORMATION.

SAFETY AND PRECAUTIONS

WEAR A FACE SHIELD, SAFETY GLASSES, GLOVES AND HEAT-RESISTANT PROTECTIVE
CLOTHING WHEN WORKING WITH HOT METAL. QUENCH OILS MAY BE VERY HOT
(ABOVE 100C) AND OIL TEMPERATURE INCREASES DURING QUENCHING. SPLASHES
OR SKIN CONTACT CAUSE BURNS. AVOID SKIN CONTACT WITH OILS BY USING
GLOVES AND PROTECTIVE CLOTHING.
CHECK THAT ALL SAFETY DEVICES, SUCH AS AUTOMATIC SHUT-OFF VALVES, AIR
SWITCHES, AND EXHAUST FANS ARE WORKING PROPERLY BEFORE LIGHTING THE
FURNACE.
ENSURE THE VOLUME OF THE COOLING MEDIUM IS SUFFICIENT FOR THE JOB. AS
THE METAL COOLS, THE MEDIUM ABSORBS THE HEAT. IF THERE IS NOT ENOUGH
MEDIUM, IT WILL BECOME TOO HOT TO COOL THE METAL AT THE DESIRED RATE.
ENSURE THAT QUENCHING AREAS HAVE ENOUGH VENTILATION TO KEEP OIL MISTS
AT RECOMMENDED LEVELS.
FOLLOW THE MANUFACTURER'S INSTRUCTIONS WHEN LIGHTING THE FURNACE.
STAND TO ONE SIDE WHEN LIGHTING A GAS- OR OIL-FIRED FURNACE.

SAFETY AND PRECAUTIONS

ENSURE THAT WATER DOES NOT CONTAMINATE THE QUENCHING OIL. ANY MOISTURE WHICH
COMES IN CONTACT WITH THE OIL CAN CAUSE AN EXPLOSION.
USE THE PROPER TONGS FOR THE JOB AND MAKE SURE THE TONGS ARE DRY BEFORE
REMOVING ANY WORK FROM A LIQUID CARBURIZING POT.
ENSURE THAT A SUITABLE BACTERIAL INHIBITOR OR FUNGICIDE HAS BEEN ADDED TO THE
QUENCHING LIQUID.
COVER QUENCH TANKS WHEN NOT IN USE.
CLEAN UP OIL SPILLS AND LEAKS IMMEDIATELY USING A NONFLAMMABLE ABSORBANT.
KEEP WORK AREAS, JIGS, BASKETS AND TOOLS FREE FROM OIL CONTAMINATION WHERE
POSSIBLE.
WASH HANDS THOROUGHLY AFTER WORK, AT BREAKS (PARTICULARLY MEAL TIMES), BEFORE
STARTING OTHER TASKS, OR BEFORE USING THE TOILET.
OBTAIN FIRST AID FOR ALL CUTS AND ABRASIONS. PROTECT THEM FROM CONTAMINATION BY
USING SUITABLE DRESSINGS.
REPORT TO YOUR SUPERVISOR AND OBTAIN MEDICAL ATTENTION WHEN SUFFERING FROM, OR
SUSPECTING, SKIN TROUBLE.

THINGS TO AVOID DOING

DO NOT WEAR OIL-SOAKED CLOTHING OR PUT OILY RAGS IN YOUR

POCKETS.
DO NOT BRING FOOD OR DRINK INTO AREAS WHERE QUENCH OILS ARE
STORED OR USED.
DO NOT WEAR OR TAKE OIL-CONTAMINATED CLOTHING OR EQUIPMENT
INTO AREAS WHERE FOOD OR DRINK ARE CONSUMED.
AVOID WORKING WITH GALVANIZED STEEL AS IT PRODUCES TOXIC
FUMES