Basics of Heat Treatment

BASICS OF
HEAT TREATMENT
By
A. GANESH
CMS/AWTI/ICF
STEEL
 Introduction
 Plain carbon steel
 Alloy steel
 Classification based on various factors
 Alloying elements and its effects

MICROSTRUCTURE IN STEEL
 Ferrite: Also called α – Iron. BCC structure.
Can hold very little carbon at RT (0.0001%)
and maximum of 0.025% at 727oc.
 Austenite: Also called γ – Iron. FCC
structure. Can hold upto 2% carbon. This
phase exist at higher temperature.
 Cementite: Intermetallic compound Fe3C.
Contains 6.7% C. Very hard and britle.
 Pearlite: Alternate layers of ferrite and
cementite. Lamellar structure. Strong and
ductile.
 Martensite: Hardest microstructure
obtained at faster cooling rate of
austenite. BCT structure.
DIAGRAM
STEEL HEAT TREATMENT
TREATMENTS OF STEEL
TREATMENT
BULK SURFACE
THERMAL Thermo - Thermo -

Mechanical Chemical
(Heat treatment)
DEFINITION
 An operation or a combination of operations involving

heating and cooling of steel in a controlled manner in
solid state to obtain desirable conditions / properties.
 Heating the metal to a predetermined

temperature.
 Soaking the metal at that temperature
 Cooling the metal at some predetermined rate
to cause desirable structures within the metal.
HEATING SOAKING COOLING

PURPOSE OF HEAT TREATMENT
 Relieve internal stresses

 Improve machinability
 Improve mechanical properties like ductility,
strength, hardness, toughness, etc.
 Changes the grain size
 Alters the microstructure
HEAT TREATMENT METHODS
BULK
SURFACE
ANNEALING NORMALIZING HARDENING

& THERMAL THERMO-
TEMPERING CHEMICAL
Full Annealing
Carburizing
MARTEMPERING Flame
Recrystallization Annealing Induction Nitriding
Stress Relief Annealing AUSTEMPERING LASER Carbo-nitriding
Spheroidization Annealing Electron Beam

HEAT TREATMENT METHODS
 Annealing
 Normalizing
 Hardening
 Tempering
 Case hardening
 Ranges of temperature where Annealing, Normalizing and Spheroidization
treatment are carried out for hypo- and hyper-eutectoid steels.
Ful
l An
nea
ling n
910 C

a tio Acm
No li z
rm aliz m a
r
A3 atio
n No
723C Full Annealing

A1
Spheroidization Stress Relief Annealing


T Recrystallization Annealing
Wt% C
0.8 %
ANNEALING
 Heating the steel slightly above the critical

temperature in a furnace
 Holding at that temperature for a considerable
time depending on the thickness of section.
 Slowly cooling in the furnace itself.
 Softens steel,
 Improves machinability,
 Increase or restore ductility and toughness,
 Refine grain size & relieve internal stress.
FULL ANNEALING
 The purpose of this heat treatment is to obtain a material with high ductility. A
microstructure with coarse pearlite is endowed with such properties.
 The steel is heated above A3 (for hypo-eutectoid steels) & A1 (for hyper-eutectoid steels) →
(hold) → then the steel is furnace cooled to obtain coarse Pearlite.
 Coarse Pearlite has low Hardness but high Ductility.
 For hyper-eutectoid steels the heating is not done above Acm to avoid a continuous
network of proeutectoid cementite along prior Austenite grain boundaries (presence of
cementite along grain boundaries provides easy path for crack propagation).
910C Acm
A3

A1

T
Wt% C
0.8 %
Stress Relief Annealing
 Due to various processes like quenching (differential cooling of surface
and interior), machining, phase transformations (like martensitic
transformation), welding, etc. the residual stresses develop in the sample.
Residual stress can lead to undesirable effects like warpage of the
component.
 The annealing is carried out just below A1 , wherein ‘recovery*’ processes
are active (Annihilation of dislocations, polygonization).
Residual stresses → Heat below A1 → Recovery
910C
Differential cooling
723C
Machining and cold working Stress Relief Annealing A1
Martensite formation

Welding T
Wt% C
* It is to be noted that ‘recovery’ is a technical term. 0.8 %
Stress Relief Annealing
 Uniform cooling is of utmost importance as non-uniform cooling

will itself result in the development of internal stresses. Thus the
very purpose of stress relieving will be lost.
 Plain carbon steels and low alloy steels generally temperature

is limited to 600oC. Higher temperature is used for high alloy
steels.
 The extent of the stresses relieved depend upon the

temperature employed and holding time.
Process Annealing
 Heated to a temperature below lower critical temperature
 Cooling rate is less critical as there it is done at subcritical temp.
 Purpose: Reduce hardness and increase ductility for further working
This process is extensively used in treatment of sheets and wires.
NORMALISING
 Normalising is done to eliminate coarse grained structure
 To remove internal stress caused by working such as forging
 To improve mechanical properties of the steel
PROCESS
 Heating the steel above critical temperature
 Holding at this temperature for short period depending upon

thickness
 Cooling in air 910 C  A cm
A3
Refine grain structure prior to 723C

hardening A1
To harden the steel slightly

Purposes 
T
To reduce segregation in
casting or forgings
Wt% C
0.8 %
NORMALISING
 Since the temperature involved in this process is more than that for
annealing , the homogeneity of austenite increases and it results in
better dispersion of ferrite and Cementite in the final structure.
 The grain size is finer in normalized structure than in annealed
structure.
 Normalized steels are generally stronger and harder than fully
annealed steels
HARDENING
 Hardening is done to develop high hardness to resist wear and
enable it to cut other metals
 To improve strength, elasticity, ductility & toughness.
PROCESS
 Heating the steel above critical temperature
 Holding at this temperature

 Rapid cooling (Quenching) in oil or water or brine
 Rapid cooling enables the formation of martensite
Hardening is applied to cutting tools and machine parts where high

hardness and wear resistance are important.
HARDENING
 The sample is heated above A3 | Acm . Quenched at a cooling rate higher than the
critical cooling rate (i.e. to avoid the nose of the CCT diagram).
 The quenching process produces residual strains (thermal, phase transformation).
 The transformation to Martensite is usually incomplete and the sample will have some
Heat above A3 | Acm → Austenization → Quench (higher than critical cooling rate)
retained Austenite.
 The Martensite produced is hard and brittle and tempering operation usually follows
hardening. This gives a good combination of strength and toughness.
910C Acm
A3

A1

T
Wt% C
0.8 %
FACTORS AFFECTING HARDENING
 Composition – carbon & alloy content

 Heating rate & time
 Homogeneity & grain size of austenite
 Quenching medium
 Quenching rate (Removal of heat in 3 stages)
 Size of the component
 Surface condition
TEMPERING
 Tempering is done
 toreduce the detrimental effects due to high hardening
 To stabilise the structure of the metal
 To reduce some hardness and increase the ductility
 To improve toughness & shock resistance of the metal
PROCESS
 Reheating the steel after hardening process to
temperature below critical temperature
 Holding it for a considerable time
 Slow cooling
 Low- temperature tempering (150 – 250 oC),

 Medium – temperature tempering (350 – 450 oC),
 High – temperature tempering (500 – 650 oC).
MARTEMPERING & AUSTEMPERING
 Developed to avoid residual stresses generated during quenching.
 Austenized steel is quenched above Ms (say to a temperature T1) for homogenization
of temperature across the sample.
 In Martempering the steel is then quenched and the entire sample transforms
simultaneously to martensite. This is followed by tempering.
 In Austempering instead of quenching the sample, it is held at T1 for it to transform to
bainite.
800
Eutectoid temperature
723 Austenite
Pearlite
600
 + Fe3C
500 Pearlite + Bainite
T →
400 Bainite
300 T1
Ms
200 Austempering
Mf
100
Martempering Martensite
0.1 1 10 102 103 104 105

t (s) →
SURFACE HARDENING / CASE HARDENING
 Case hardening : Process of treating steel to get a hard

surface while the core remains soft.
 Types:
 Flame hardening.
 Induction hardening.
 Carburising
 Cyaniding
 Nitriding
Bushes, Pins, BG Hanger brackets.

FLAME HARDENING
INDUCTION HARDENING
CARBURISING

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BASICS OF

 Plain carbon steel

 Classification based on various factors

 Alloying elements and its effects

THERMAL Thermo - Thermo -

 An operation or a combination of operations involving

 Heating the metal to a predetermined

HEATING SOAKING COOLING

 Relieve internal stresses

ANNEALING NORMALIZING HARDENING

Stress Relief Annealing AUSTEMPERING LASER Carbo-nitriding

Spheroidization Annealing Electron Beam

723C Full Annealing

Spheroidization Stress Relief Annealing

 Heating the steel slightly above the critical

723C Full Annealing

 Uniform cooling is of utmost importance as non-uniform cooling

 Plain carbon steels and low alloy steels generally temperature

 The extent of the stresses relieved depend upon the

 To improve mechanical properties of the steel

 Holding at this temperature for short period depending upon

Refine grain structure prior to 723C

To harden the steel slightly

 Holding at this temperature

Hardening is applied to cutting tools and machine parts where high

723C Full Annealing

 Composition – carbon & alloy content

 Low- temperature tempering (150 – 250 oC),

0.1 1 10 102 103 104 105

 Case hardening : Process of treating steel to get a hard

Bushes, Pins, BG Hanger brackets.

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