How to Know Which Softening Process to Use in Your Heat Treatment
Source: Metlab Heat Treat
When steel needs to be softened to alter ductility, toughness, or properties, or to produce a specific microstructure, a heat treater can turn to any one or combination of processes to suit the material or the application.
Metlab Heat Treat’s primer series includes a short explanation of the options available, whether it is
- annealing, which “removes the internal stresses, which build up as a result of cold working and other fabrication processes;”
- protective atmosphere normalizing, which “refines the grain size and enhances the uniformity of the microstructure;” or
- spheroidize annealing, which “is generally done on parts which have been work hardened, to allow them to be further worked, either rolled in the case of coils, or drawn for wire.”
Read more: “Annealing, Protective Atmosphere Normalizing, Spheroidize Annealing”
Photo credit: Metlab Heat Treat
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