Carbon Steel Normalizing

Carbon steel contains carbon in the range of 0.12 to 2%. As the percentage of carbon content increases, the
steel becomes harder, tougher and less ductile. Low carbon steels usually do not need normalizing. However,
they can be normalized on the requirement.

In normalizing heat treatment of carbon steel, it is heated to a temperature of 55 °C (131 °F) above the
austenitic temperature, Ac3, (Lies between 750-980 °C / 1320-1796 °F) also known as “holding temperature”
as shown in the following figure.

The period of holding temperature is one hour per 25 mm (0.984 in) thickness. The process ensures that all the
steel transforms into austenite. Steel is then cooled down to ambient temperature in still air.

This process produces fine pearlite structure which is more uniform. Pearlite is a layered structure of two
phases i.e. cementite (iron carbide) and α-ferrite.  This process is different from annealing because in the
annealing the heated metal is cooled slowly at a specified rate inside the furnace.

Normalized steel has greater strength and hardness than annealed steel, and the process is more economical
due to cooling directly with air.
Microstructure in Normalizing 
The thickness of carbon steel can have a significant effect on the cooling rate and thus the resulting
microstructure. The thicker pieces cool down slower and become more ductile after normalizing than thinner
pieces.

After normalizing the portions of steel containing 0.80% of carbon are pearlite while the areas having low
carbon are ferrites. The redistribution of carbon atoms takes place between ferrite (0.022 % by wt.) and
cementite (6.7% by wt.) by the process of atomic diffusion.

The amount of pearlite is more than that in annealed steel with same carbon content. This is because of
shifting of the eutectoid composition to lower value and formation of cementite.  

The fine-grained pearlite microstructure is tougher than coarse-grained ones. Normalizing reduces the internal
stresses of the carbon steel. It also improves microstructural homogeneity, enhances thermal stability and
response to heat treatment. 

Normalizing Equipment
The equipment in use for normalizing comes in both batch and continuous operations. Bell furnace offers an
economical method of heat treatment and different bell lifting mechanisms.

Continuous furnaces heat treats the metal in the continuous fashion. The conveyor runs at constant speed, and
the product is carried to desired conditions after heat treatment. 

Application of Normalizing 
The low cost of the normalizing process makes it one of the most extensively used industrial process when
compared to annealing. The furnace is available for the next batch as soon as heating and holding periods are
over. Normalizing is used to:

 Improve the grain size refinement and machinability of cast structures of castings
 Recover the original mechanical properties of forged or cold worked steel
 Ease the forging operations for high carbon steel
 Stress relieve of castings