Item
Annealing Hardening
Process 1. Heat to below Upper Critical
Temperature to cause
recrystallisation.
2. Soaking for sufficient time to
allow the material to fully
form austenite.
3. Cool very slowly in the
furnace or room temperature.
Purpose 1. Relieve Internal Stresses
2. Increasing Softness,
Machinability, and
Formability.
3. Refinement of Grain
Structures
Types Of Heat Treatment Process
Normalizing
1. Heat the metal to the
required temperature.
2. Soak at a temperature
slightly above its upper
critical point. ​ ​Soaking time
increases with increase in
section thickness and the
amount of alloying element.
3. Cool rapidly by plunging the
hot metal into a quenching
medium, such as oil, water,
or brine.
1. To increase the strength of
steel
2. To increase the hardness of
the steel.
Tempering
1. Heat to Upper Critical
Temperature, at which point
the structure is all Austenite
2. Cool slowly in air.
3. Structure will now be fine
equi-axed pearlite.
1. To produce a harder and
stronger steel than full
annealing.
2. To improve mechanical
qualities.
3. To improve machinability.
4. To refine the grain
structure.
1. Heat to lower criti
temperature.
2. Keep it there for a
one hour.
3. Cool slowly in air
prescribed rate.
1. Tempering is app
to hardened steel
reduce brittleness
increase ductility
toughness and to
relieve stresses in
martensite structu
 4. Annealing can change the 5. To modify and refine cast 2. Reduces strength
shape of the grains back to dendritic structure. wear resistance
the desired form. margenally
3. To control the effe
final properties
required of the ste
4. To produce defini
physical propertie
within the steel.
Microstructure
change
involved Diagram at bellow.
during process
Microstructure
final

Tempered martensit
Pearlite - Ferrite is very soft, while
Martensite
Pearlite (ferrite + cementite) cementite is very hard. With the
cementite plates closer together in
the case of normalized medium
pearlite, they tend to stiffen the
ferrite so it will not yield as easily,
thus increasing hardness.
`End product PHYSICAL PROPERTIES:
properties
Annealed metals are relatively soft
and can be cut and shaped more
easily. They bend easily when
pressure is applied. As a rule they
are heated and allowed to cool
slowly.
Material used ● Using furnace to heat up the
in every steel and cool down slowly
process the steel using furnace also.
Advantages ● Allows materials to be
softened which will enable
further deformation to take
place.
● Less expensive.
● Increases the ductility of
steel.
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES:
Hardened metals are difficult to cut
and shape. They are very difficult if
not impossible to bend. As a rule
they are heated and cooled very
quickly by quenching in clean, cold
water.
● Using furnace to heat up the
steel and cool down rapidly
the steel using brine, water,
oil and gas (usually use
liquid nitrogen).
● Increases the hardness and
strength of the steel
● Wear resistance
● A decrease in the cooling
rate.
● High product quality.
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES:
Annealed metals are relatively soft
and can be cut and shaped more
easily. They bend easily when
pressure is applied. As a rule they
are heated and allowed to cool
slowly.
● Using furnace to heat up
the steel and cool down
slowly the steel using air
● Has a higher strength and
hardness compared to
annealing.
● The stress, yield point and
impact energy value is
higher from which found
through full annealing.
PHYSICAL PROPERTIE
Hardened metals are diff
to cut and shape. They a
very difficult if not imposs
to bend. As a rule they a
heated and cooled very
quickly by quenching in c
cold water.
● Using furnace to
up the steel and c
down slowly the s
using air.
● The increase in th
metal toughness
elongation.
● Reduces the hard
in the material.
 ● Can be cut and shaped more
easily.
● Can bend easily when
pressure is applied.
Disadvantages ● Decreases the hardness of
steel.
● Surface produces a scale
when being heated and
cooled which is difficult to
clean.
● Only suitable for small sized
components.
● Cannot subjected to heavy
component.
Microstructure change involved during tempering process:
● Less ductile
● Once hardened most
products need to be
tempered
● Product has to be cleaned so
that the colours can be seen.
● Better mechanical
properties.
● Lesser time-consuming.
● Lower cost of fuel and
operation.
● Lower ductility. ● Product has to be
cleaned so that th
colours can be se
● The reduction of t
martensite (BCT)
structure and the
progression towa
spheroidal carbid
ferrite matrix struc