Heat Treatment of Steels Click here to revise the basics required for this topic: Phase_Transformations

We have noted that how TTT and CCT diagrams can help us design heat treatments to
design the microstructure of steels and hence engineer the properties. In some cases a
gradation in properties may be desired (usually from the surface to the interior- a hard
surface with a ductile/tough interior/bulk).
In general three kinds of treatments are: (i) Thermal (heat treatment), (ii) Mechanical
(working), (iii) Chemical (alteration of composition). A combination of these treatments are
also possible (e.g. thermo-mechanical treatments, thermo-chemical treatments).
The treatment may affect the whole sample or only the surface.
A typical industrial treatment cycle may be complicated with many steps (i.e. a combination
of the simple steps which are outlined in the chapter).

Thermal (heat treatment)

E.g. heat and quench
Or a combination
Treatments Mechanical (Thermo-mechanical,
E.g. shot peeningthermo-chemical)
E.g. case carburizing
Chemical
Bulk

Surface
An overview of important heat treatments
A broad classification of heat treatments possible are given below. Many more specialized
treatments or combinations of these are possible.

HEAT TREATMENT

BULK SURFACE

ANNEALING NORMALIZING HARDENING

THERMAL THERMO-
& CHEMICAL
TEMPERING
Full Annealing Carburizing
MARTEMPERING Flame
Recrystallization Annealing Induction Nitriding

Stress Relief Annealing AUSTEMPERING LASER Carbo-nitriding

Spheroidization Annealing Electron Beam

Full Annealing

The purpose of this heat treatment is to obtain a material with high ductility. A microstructure
with coarse pearlite (i.e. pearlite having high interlamellar spacing) is endowed with such
properties.
The range of temperatures used is given in the figure below.
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).
NORMALIZING
The sample is heat above A3 | Acm to complete Austenization. The sample is then air cooled to
obtain Fine pearlite. Fine pearlite has a reasonably good hardness and ductility.
In hypo-eutectoid steels normalizing is done 50C above the annealing temperature.
In hyper-eutectoid steels normalizing done above Acm due to faster cooling cementite does
not form a continuous film along GB.
The list of uses of normalizing are listed below.

Refine grain structure prior to hardening

Purposes To harden the steel slightly

To reduce segregation in casting or forgings

HARDENING
The sample is heated above A3 | Acm to cause Austenization. The sample is then 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 not complete and the sample will have some
Heat above
retained A3 | Acm Austenization Quench (higher than critical cooling rate)
Austenite.
The Martensite produced is hard and brittle and tempering operation usually follows
hardening. This gives a good combination of strength and toughness.
Austenite. Martensite pearlite
 Thermal Treatments Diffusion
Coating

With low carbon steel, the surface can be

enriched by diffusion of C or N into surface
Carburizing
Heat steel to austenitic range (850-950 C) in a
carbon rich environment, then quench and temper
Nitriding
Nitrogen diffusion into steels occurs around 500-560 C
to form a thin hard surface
Good for Cr, V, W, and Mo steels. Will embrittle
surface of Aluminum.
Metal Diffusion
Chromizing Chromium diffuses into surface to form
corrosion resistant layer.
Take care with carbon steels as surface will decarburize
Aluminizing Used to increase the high temperature
corrosion resistance of steels and superalloys
 SURFACE HARDENING
HEAVY CROSS SECTION - IMPOSSIBLE TO COOL QUICKLY
TO PRODUCE A UNIFORMLY MARTENSITIC STRUCTURE
THROUGHOUT

A SOFT UNHARDENED CORE DUE TO RELATIVELY SLOW

COOLING RATE. CORE WITH FINE PEARLITE, SURFACE
MARTENSITIC-
CALLED MASS EFFECT OF HEAT TREATMENT
0.1% C TOUGH & SOFT; 0.8% C HARD & BRITTLE

CERTAIN APPLICATIONS WHERE CORE AND SURFACE SHALL

HAVE DIFFERENT PROPERTIES. Eg:
Cam, Gears, Shafts to have hard and wear
resistant surfaces, but TOUGH, shock resistant
cores

HARDNESS- TOUGHNESS- MALLEABILITY- [COMPRESSION ]

(eg: rolling, forging)- DUCTILITY- [TENSION ](eg: wires
drawn)
 Carbon or Nitrogen to penetrate to some
depth for hardness to increase on surface
Flame or Induction hardening for
localised purposes

CASE HARDENING eg; Wrought Iron to

steel by Cementation
Carbon diffused into Iron (of Fe3C
structure)
 CASE HARDENING

Solid, Liquid or Gaseous

medium
Release carbon at surface ,
absorb interstitially to steel- By
DIFFUSION
DEPTH DERIVED BY SECOND LAW
FICKS LAWS OF DIFFUSION
 PACK CARBURISING
Packing work in 25 Cr, 20 Ni heat
resisting steel boxes with 50 mm gap
with carburising material.
Heated slowly to 850 9250 C,
maintained for 8 hrs according to
depth needed. Temperature
Carburising
Time

Depth of case
 LIQUID BATH
Mixture of salts of Sodium Cyanide,
Sodium carbonate, Sodium/barium
Chloride
Melted in pots to 870- 9500 C, work
immersed for 5 min to 1 hour
Then basket quenched- hard and
clean surface
For shallow- 0.1 to 0.25 ,mm; for
small parts
 GAS CARBURISING
In batch type or continuous
furnaces.
Far widely used
Clean compact plant
Heated to 9000 C for 3 to 4 hours
Hydrocarbons methane and
propane partly burnt in furnace,
diluted with carrier gas to get
required carbon POTENTIAL ( ie
carbon content maintained in
equilibrium in the surface film-
 NITRIDING
Resembles Carburising-(interstitial
penetration during heating with
nitriding agent)
Hardness depends on the
formation of hard nitrides
For alloy steels with Al, Cr, Mo, V
(these form strong nitrides)
 Plus points:
No quenching needed, so cracking
/distortion least.
High surface hardness of 1150 H obtained
Resistance to fatigue failure good
Resistance to corrosion good, (on
unpolished surface)
Hardness retained at 5000C ( in carburising
falls near 2000C)
Economical for large no. of components
Clean process, (cyaniding with water rinsing
environmentally not good)
Minus points:
Initial outlay higher than for case hardening
Overheating removes hardness completely.
INDUCTION HARDENING AND FLAME HARDENING

USE OF INDUCTION COILS

Gas flame derived
rom acetylene,
propane
or natural gas .

Manually
operated torches
used for small
areas or localised
surfaces.