IRON – CARBON SYSTEM

CHAPTER 7
Part III
HARDENABILITY

Chapter 7: Hardenability SME 1613: Astuty Amrin

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 During heat treatment of steel, the optimum properties of
quenched and tempered steel is obtained if a high amount
of martensite is produced

 It is difficult to maintain the same conditions throughout the

section of the steel during the rapid cooling: the surface
cools more quickly than the centre
 This will produce a range of microstructures throughout the
section
 The martensite content (and the hardness) will drop from
a high value at the surface to a lower value in the centre of
the work-piece

Chapter 7: Hardenability SME 1613: Astuty Amrin

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 The production of uniform microstructure of martensite
depends on 3 factors
1. Steel composition
2. Quenching medium
3. Section thickness

 The effect of steel composition on the ability to form

martensite for a particular quenching treatment is called
“HARDENABILITY”

 For every steel there is a relationship between cooling

rate & mechanical properties

Chapter 7: Hardenability SME 1613: Astuty Amrin

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What is Hardenability?
 Hardenability is the ability of the steel to be hardened by
forming martensite (in other words avoid the formation of
pearlite)

 Hardenability is a measure of the rate at which hardness

decreases with distance from the surface as the
martensite content decreases

 High hardenability means the ability of the steel to

produce a high content of martensite throughout the
work-piece section
Chapter 7: Hardenability SME 1613: Astuty Amrin
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Hardenability Evaluation
 Hardenability of a steel is assessed by studying the
response of the steel to cooling in a standardized
geometry in which a variety of cooling rates can easily
and consistently be reproduced from one test to another

 The Jominy or “end-quench” test performed for standard

cylindrical specimens, standard austenitisation
conditions and standard quenching conditions, is used to
measure hardenability of a steel

 The Jominy test specimen is a 4-in (100 mm) long

cylindrical bar with 1-in (25.4 mm) diameter
Chapter 7: Hardenability SME 1613: Astuty Amrin
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Jominy test specimen

Jominy test set-up

Chapter 7: Hardenability SME 1613: Astuty Amrin

 IRON – CARBON SYSTEM

Sequence of quenching during Jominy end-test

Chapter 7: Hardenability SME 1613: Astuty Amrin

 IRON – CARBON SYSTEM

 Typical distribution of hardness in a Jominy test

(hardenability curve) shows:
1. Quenched end cools rapidly and contains more
martensite

2. The cooling rate decreases with distance from

the quenched end, greater carbon diffusion,
more pearlite / bainite, low hardness

 The most significant information revealed by the

Jominy test is the hardness at a given cooling rate

Chapter 7: Hardenability SME 1613: Astuty Amrin

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Hardenability curve

Chapter 7: Hardenability SME 1613: Astuty Amrin

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Variables Affecting the
Hardenability
1. Alloying Elements in the
Steel

 Any steel that has low critical cooling

rate will harden deeper than one that
has a high cooling rate of quenching

 Addition of alloy elements increases

the hardenability of steel because
they shift the TTT curves towards the
right (longer transformation time)
making martensite formation more
easier (Figure below)

Chapter 7: Hardenability SME 1613: Astuty Amrin

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Carbon Steel 1034

Alloy Steel 4340

Carbon Steel 1090

Alloy Steel 5140

Chapter 7: Hardenability SME 1613: Astuty Amrin

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2. Austenite Grain Size

 Coarsening of the austenite grain size will increase the hardenability

of steel

 Large grain of austenite will provide few nucleation sites for pearlite
formation,

 This means pearlite formation will be difficult leading to martensite

formation

Chapter 7: Hardenability SME 1613: Astuty Amrin

 IRON – CARBON SYSTEM

Effect of Specimen Size and Geometry, and Quenching

Medium
1. Size and Shape of Specimen
 The cooling rate depends on the amount of heat extracted to the
specimen surface.

2. Quenching Medium
 Water gives faster cooling rates than oil, air has the slowest rate.
 Very fast cooling may lead to quench cracking

Chapter 7: Hardenability SME 1613: Astuty Amrin

 IRON – CARBON SYSTEM

Chapter 7: Hardenability SME 1613: Astuty Amrin

 IRON – CARBON SYSTEM

Applications of Jominy Curves

 Jominy curves can be used to

predict the expected hardness
distribution obtained after
hardening steels of different
dimensions in various quenching
media

 Jominy curves are also used to

compare the hardenability of
different heats of the same steel as
a quality control (QC) method

Chapter 7: Hardenability SME 1613: Astuty Amrin

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Determination of Hardenability

 In Jominy test, the effect of quenching medium is standardized so

that its effect is not considered

 Instead a ratio of heat transfer (F) / thermal conductivity (K) of the

material is designated as H and is called the severity of cooling rate:
H = F : K.

 Example: A 50.8 mm (2 in) bar of 3140 steel is quenched in oil with

no agitation. What is the hardness number of the bar?

Chapter 7: Hardenability SME 1613: Astuty Amrin

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The distance ¾ in is equivalent to

12/16 in

The hardness number is 34 (HRC)

and is written as: J34 = 12

Chapter 7: Hardenability SME 1613: Astuty Amrin