Heat Treatment

1.Definition of heat treatment

Heat treatment is the technical process or treatments
to steels in solid state according to the scheduled
requirements like heating, keeping warm and cooling,
their aims are to vary the internal structure and gain the
desired properties.
2.Basic Theories of heat treatment:
When the basic components of steels (Fe) is heated to a
When
certain degree, its lattice structure of steel will vary from
one form to another as the temperature.
Ferrite (F) and Austenite (A) are both the solid solution of
Ferrite
Fe, so they have the lattice structure of iron.

Heat Treatment
3.Bring forward the problem:
Find out the method and path of altering the properties
of steels
4.Purpose of heat treatment
Eliminating some shortages of steels
Improving some properties of steels
5.Advantages of heat treatment
Intensifying the metallic materials, fully developing
the potential of materials, lightening the mass of
equipments and guaranteeing the security and
life of equipments.
expected

Processing steps of heat

treatment:

Temperature/
ature/C

Heating

Keeping warm

Cooling

Keeping warm
Heating

Cooling
Time

Cooling media and way of cooling

Cooling in furnace
Cooling in still air
Cooling in oil
Cooling in water
Cooling in brine

Cooling Capacity
Cooling Speed

Heat Treating Process of

steels:
Annealing
Normalizing
Quenching
Tempering

Annealing & Normalizing

*Lowering hardness, improving plasticity,

making steels apt to the cold-work.
*Homogenizing the steel structure, refining
the grain, developing the mechanical properties.
*Clearing up the internal stress, resisting
the deformation of workpieces.

Quench
(1)Process :
Heating the steel pieces to the quenching temperature, cool them quickly
in the quenching agents after the warm-keeping treatment, then the
Austenite changes into the Matensite.

(2)Quenching Temperature
*Hypo-eutectoid Steel (C<0.8%) heating above the A 3 line 30~50C
*Hyper-eutectoid Steel (C>0.8%) heating above the A 1 line 30~50C

(3)Quenching Agent
*Mineral Oil, Water, and Brine.
*Generally speaking:
Carbon Steel, cooling in water and brine.
Alloy Steel, cooling in oil.

Quench
(4)Quenching Function
developing the hardness, strength and wear (abrasion)
resistance.
*The emergency cooling in quenching is apt to
make flaw in the steel pieces, so the tempering is
commonly needed to clear up the stress after quenching.
*Quenching and Tempering are always combined
to the technical process.

Tempering
(1)Process
Heat the steel pieces which are already quenched to the
certain temperature (T<T critical ), cool them quickly in still air
after the warm-keeping treatment.
(2)Purpose
Reduce or clear up the internal stress of
workpieces after quenching, stabilize the internal structure
and gain the different mechanical properties.
(3)Types of Tempering
*Tempering at low temperature
after quenching, tempering between 150~250 C.
Function: reduces the internal stress and brittleness of
quenching steels, and at the same time keeps the high
hardness and high wear resistance.
Usage : in spares of various tools and ball bearing after
carburation.

*Tempering at medium temperature

After quenching, tempering between 300~450 C.
Function: reduce the internal stress, reach the limit of high strength and
high elasticity.
Usage: in the treatment of various spring.

*Tempering at high temperature

After quenching, tempering between 500~680 C.
Function: gain the certain strength, have higher plasticity and impact
toughness, i.e. excellent overall mechanical properties.

Quenching + Tempering
>Thermal Refining
>Thermal
Usage: important spares, such as gear, rod, crank shaft, etc.