Heat Treatment

Chapter 8
 Learning Objectives

 Student will be able to identify the constituents in

steels
 Student will be able to explain the relation
between the Iron - Carbon Phase Diagram with
the heat treatment process
 Student will be able to explain the configuration
of alloying elements during heating
 Factors influencing tool
performance:
 Tool design and how well the tool has been made
(surface finish, correct clearance, alignment, radii vs.
sharp corners, etc.)
 Material to be processed
(its hardness, thickness, surface condition, etc. )
 The tool steel usage and heat treatment.
(overheated or underheated steel performs less well than
a correctly heated one, exception: under heated high
speed steel)
 Operational factors
alignment in setting up, machine condition, operator's
skill, lubrication, etc.
 Constituent in Steel
1. Ferrite

  and -phase
with the BCC
lattice
 2. Austenite

 The -phase with

the FCC lattice.
 3. Cementite

 Name given to iron carbide

 having fixed composition Fe3C.
 Cementite is a hard and brittle
substance, influencing on the
properties of steels and cast irons
 4. Pearlite
 fine mixture of ferrite
and cementite
structure
 forming as a result of
decomposition of
austenite at slow
cooling conditions
 the black lamellae are
the Fe3C parts; their
thickness is a few µm.
 The name comes from Microstructure of pearlite in 1080 steel, formed from austenite
of eutectoid composition. In this lamellar structure, the lighter
the pearl-like luster of regions are ferrite, and the darker regions are carbide.
Magnification: 2500X. Source: Courtesy of USX Corporation.
this material.
 5. Martensite

 In steel, under rapid cooling,

so that equilibrium is
prevented, austenite
transforms into a
nonequilibrium phase called
martensite,
 hard and brittle constituent
6. Soorbite and Troostite
 structures that produced when
martensite or bainite is tempered,
(heated to some temperature not
exceeding 700oc)
 To reduce brittleness and hardness.
 7. Bainite
 An acicular aggregate
of ferrite and carbide
particles formed when
austenite is
transformed on cooling
at temperatures in the
intermediate (200oC-
450oC) range, i.e.
above the martensite
and below the pearlite
range.
 What is Heat Treatment ?
Various metallurgical process that involves heating and
cooling.
 It is performed to effect structural changes in a material, which
in turn affect its mechanical properties
 Example:quenching, annealing, normalizing, tempering, surface
hardening, etc
 Most common applications are on
 Metals

 Similar treatments are performed on

 Glass-ceramics

 Tempered glass

 Powder metals and ceramics

 Heat Treatment in Manufacturing

 Heat treatment operations are performed on metal

workparts at various times during their manufacturing
sequence
 To soften a metal for forming prior to shaping

 To relieve strain hardening that occurs during

forming
 To strengthen and harden the metal near the end of

the manufacturing sequence

Hardening – heat treating operation necessary to impart
hardness to any component.
 This treatment consist of:-
1. Heating – to selected temperature (Austenitizing
temperature - 723oC
2. Holding – at Austenitizing temperature
3. Cooling / quenching – at fast rate in order to get desired
hardness
 In order to get required mechanical properties such as
tensile strength, ductility, elasticity, etc, tempering
process is done to the part.
 The steel hardening process involved:-
1. Heating – 27.8oC to 55.6oC above upper critical
temperature ( 750.8oC ~ 778.6oC)
2. Quenching
3. Tempering
Pre- heating
 Pre-heating temperature - the range is
about 150oC ~ 250oC below the
hardening temperature
 Pre-heating time – 10 ~ 15 minutes per
cm of wall thickness
Heat-Treating Temperature Ranges

 FIGURE 5.38 Heat-treating temperature ranges for

plain-carbon steels, as indicated on the iron-iron-carbide
phase diagram. Source: ASM International, Materials
Park, OH.
 Heat Treatment Processes
Figure 4.23 Heat-treating temperature ranges for
plain-carbon steels, as indicated on the iron-iron
carbide phase diagram. Source: ASM
International.

Figure 4.24 Hardness of steels in the quenched and

normalized conditions, as a function of carbon content.
 Chapter 4
Outline
Figure 4.2 Outline of topics described in Chapter 4.