Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Metallurgical Insights 3
Metallurgical Insights 3
Metallurgical Insights 3
qxp
10/28/2007
2:42 PM
Page 1
PROFESSOR INDUCTION
by Valery I. Rudnev, FASM, Inductoheat Group
Metallurgical insights
for induction heat treaters
PART 3: LIMITATIONS OF TTT AND CCT DIAGRAMS
This is the third part of the series that alternates with Systematic analysis of induction coil failures. The coil failures series will resume in the January/February
2008 Heat Treating Progress.
ime-temperature-transformation
(TTT) and continuous-coolingtransformation (CCT) diagrams
are widely used by heat treaters to determine the end products of austenite
transformation when steel is cooled
below the A1 critical temperature (Figures 1 and 2).15 Time is plotted on the
x axis (a logarithmic scale) versus temperature on the y axis.
A distinguishing feature of TTT diagrams (Fig. 1) is the presence of two
S-shaped curves (sometimes referred
to as C-shaped curves). The left solid
curve represents the beginning (start)
of the transformation process and the
right solid curve designates the end
of the isothermal transformation. Often
TTT diagrams show a curve between
the transformation start and end
curves that represents the completion
of 50% of the transformation of the
austenite.
In contrast to phase transformation
diagrams, and because there is no representation of carbon content or combination of alloying elements for the
steel under consideration, a different
Fig. 1 Isothermal transformation or time-temperature-transformation (TTT) diagram for AISI 1020 plain carbon steel, austenitized at 900C (1650F); grain size: 6 (Ref. 3 and
5). Legend: = austenite, = ferrite, M = martensite.
htprof.qxp
10/28/2007
2:42 PM
Page 2
Fig. 3 Computer modeling results illustrate the dynamics of induction scan hardening as a sequence of process stages while a single-turn, MIQtype inductor moves along a carbon steel shaft. Frequency: 10 kHz. Presence of radial and longitudinal heat sink effects can clearly be observed.
To accommodate the shafts geometry, coil power and scan rate were varied at different process stages. To properly harden the shafts fillet area, a 3 second
dwell is incorporated at the beginning of the cycle. During the dwell, the inductor is energized but does not move, and no quenchant is applied.
24
htprof.qxp
10/28/2007
2:42 PM
Page 3
References
1. Handbook of Induction Heating, by V.
Rudnev, D. Loveless, R. Cook, and M.
Black: Marcel Dekker Inc., New York, 2003,
800 p.
2. Be aware of the Fine Print in the science of metallurgy of induction hardening:
Part 1, by V. Rudnev: Industrial Heating,
March 2005, p. 3742.
25