Heat

treatment normalizing pdf

Normalizing heat treatment process pdf. Purpose of normalizing heat treatment. What is normalizing heat treatment. What is the purpose of normalizing heat treatment for steel.

Normalizing heat treatment is a process applied to ferrous materials. The objective of the normalizing heat treatment is to enhance the mechanical properties of the material by refining the microstructure. The ferrous metal is heated to the austenite phase, above the transformation range, and is subsequently cooled in still air at room temperature.
The normalizing heat treatment balances the structural irregularities and makes the material soft for further working. The cold working operations such as forging, bending, hammering hardens the materials and make it less ductile. Same goes for heat affected area near welded portion. The normalizing heat treatment can re-gain the ductility and
softness of this material. This treatment is also used as before any subsequent surface hardening to improve response to the desired hardening. Normalizing Heat Treatment & Process The metal is heated in a furnace for normalizing heat treatment process. The temperature of the furnace is kept between 750-980 °C (1320-1796 °F), depending upon
the carbon content in the material. The material is kept at the temperature above austenite temperature for 1-2 hours, until all the ferrite converts into austenite, and then cooled to room temperature in still air or Nitrogen, if run in the vacuum furnace at less than 1 bar pressure. The solubility of carbon in iron is higher in the austenite phase.
Normalizing heat treatment produces a more uniform carbide size which aids further heat treatment operations and results in a more consistent final product. The process of normalizing is explained in following. The metal is heated from temperature “a” to “b” and kept in this condition for some time.

It is then cooled to ambient temperature “d” in still air. 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 castingsRecover the original mechanical properties of forged or
cold worked steelEase the forging operations for high carbon steelStress relieve of castingsReturn to Industrial Inspection Did you find this article useful? Click on below Like and G+1 buttons! In this article, we will be learning about various Heat Treatment processes like Annealing, Normalizing, Hardening, Tempering, Nitriding, and Cyaniding. We
have also provided a PDF download link for the same.The heat treatment process consists of a succession of heating and cooling cycles applied to a metal or alloy to obtain the desired properties, such as hardness, ductility, tensile strength, toughness, grain size, etc. Heat treatment involves heating metal in the solid state and then subsequently
cooling it at various cooling rates.It is a very important manufacturing practice that can not only help the manufacturing process but can also improve the product, its performance, and its characteristics in several ways. By Heat Treatment process, for example, Plain carbon steel. The following changes can be achievedThe hardness of Steel may be
increased or decreased.Internal stresses that are set up due to cold or hot working may be relieved.The machinability of Steel may be enhanced.The mechanical properties like tensile strength the Talati shock resistance toughness etc. may be improved.The resistance to corrosion and wear may be increased. The cutting properties of the tool may be
increased. The Grain structure of Steel may be refined. The electrical and magnetic properties may be improved.The Steel parts produced by mechanical operation processes such as casting, rolling or drawing, extruding, etc. develop internal stresses and change their internal structure.
This renders them hard and brittle. Annealing is carried out for such parts to remove the internal stresses and make them more ductile and less brittle.Annealing consists of heating steel parts to a temperature at or near the critical temperature of 900 degrees Celsius holding it at that temperature for a suitable time and when allowed to cool slowly in
the Furnace itself. The heating done during annealing affects the metal in two stages recovery and recrystallization.Recovery occurs as the temperature of the metal is gradually raised. Internal stresses are relieved as the atom in the metal rearrange themselves into the position that there occupied before being subjected to mechanical
operation.Recrystallization occurs as the temperature of the metal is risen further and nuclei for the growth of new stress-free crystals begin to form. As these nuclei form, the Express free crystals exhibit most of the original properties of the metal. Gradual slow cooling ensures the retaining of restored properties of the metal.Annealing is carried out
for accomplishing the followingSoftening of a metal or alloy. This may be done due to improving machinability.Relieving internal residual stresses caused by the various manufacturing process.Refining the grain size of the metal or alloy.Increasing the ductility and reducing brittleness.Homogenizing the distribution of constituents.Two types of
annealing carried out which are as followsProcess annealing.Full annealing.It consists of heating the Steel to a temperature little below the critical range and then cooling it slowly. This causes complete recrystallization in steel to form a New grain structure. This will release the internal stresses previously the strip in the steel and improve the
machinability.It consists of heating the Steel to a temperature at or near the critical point holding it there for a suitable time and then allowing it cools slowly in the Furnace itself. This course wipes out all traces of the previous structure and defines the crystalline structure in addition to the softening of the metal. It also removes internal stresses.
Now,NormalizingNormalizing is a heat treatment process similar to annealing in which the Steel is heated to about 50 degrees Celsius above the upper critical temperature followed by air cooling. This results in a softer state which will be lesser soft than that produced by annealing. This heat treatment process is usually carried for low and medium-
carbon steel as well as alloy steel to make the grain structure more uniform and relieve internal stresses.Photo By Harchis Heat TreatmentNormalizing carried for accomplishing the followingTo refine the grain size.Reduce or remove internal stresses.Improve the machinability of low-carbon steel.Increase the strength of medium carbon steel.And also
To improve the mechanical properties of the medium Carbon Steel.Differences between Annealing and NormalizingAnnealingNormalizingSteel parts are cooled in a furnace.Steel parts are cooled in still airThis has a lower yield point, Ultimate Tensile strength, and impact strength.They possess higher yield points ultimate tensile strength and impact
strength.It is soft and easily machinable. Comparatively less soft and less machinable.Low hardness. BHN ranges from 125 to 220 BHN.Relatively harder. BHN ranges from 140 to 245 BHN.Highly ductile and the percentage of elongation is more.The less ductile and relative percentage of elongation is lessHardening is a heat treatment process
carried out to increase the hardness of Steel. It consists of heating Steel components to a temperature within or above their critical range. Held at this temperature for a considerable time to ensure thorough penetration of heat at this temperature well inside the component and then allowed to cool separately by quenching in water oil or brine
solution.This kind of heat treatment produced a small grain size in the metal. The strength and hardness of the Steel are increased but make it more brittle since ductility is reduced.Hardening is carried to accomplish the followingTo reduce the grain size.Obtain maximum hardness.Reduce ductility to the minimum.To increase the wear resistance of
Steel.Improve the magnetizing properties.This heat treatment process is carried out for steel parts that have been already hardened, to reduce bitterness and unequal stress that develop as a result of hardening. This process reduces brittleness and hardness but improves the tensile strength of Steel. It increases the toughness of Steel at the expense
of the loss of some hardness.Almost all cutting tools need a hard cutting edge while at the same time, they are required to be tough and strong so as not to break when subjected to shock or fatigue. Sampling is done by reheating the hardened Steel to some temperature below the lower critical temperature and then quenching it in an oil or salt bath.
Reheating Steel during tempering temperature decreases the hardness Somewhat But improves the toughness.Photo By Dmitriy RukhmalevThis process is carried out to accomplish the followingTo increase the toughness.Also, to decrease the hardness.Relieve the internal stresses.And to reduce brittleness.Nitriding is a process of surface hardening
in which nitrogen gas is used to obtain a hard surface for the Steel. In this process, the Steel parts are heated in an atmosphere of ammonia (NH3 ) for a prolonged period and then cooled slowly. The heating temperature for nitriding Ranges from 480 degrees Celsius to 550 degrees Celsius. During this process, when Ammonia comes in contact with
steel it diffuses into nascent hydrogen and nascent nitrogen.Photo By Thermal Processing MagazineThis nascent nitrogen so produced diffuses into the surface of the workpiece forming hard nitrites which increase surface hardness. Besides increasing surface hardness and wear resistance nitriding provides good resistance to corrosion due to water,
air, and steam.
Nitriding is generally employed for Steel parts that are moving like engine parts such as a cylinder, crankshafts, etc.Cyaniding is also a surface hardening process in which the heated parts to be surface hardened are immersed in a bath of molten sodium or potassium cyanide. The immersed Steel parts are left in the molten cyanide bath for about 15
to 20 minutes.Then the parts are taken out of the bath and quenched in lime water to neutralize the particles of Cyanide salt sticking to the surface of the steel parts. The cyanide yield carbon monoxide and nitrogen both of which behaves as active carburizing agents in hardening the surface of the Steel. This surface hardening is particularly suitable
for small parts like small gear, Bush pins, screws pins, and small hand tools which require thin and Hard-wear resisting surfaces.Quenching is the rapid cooling of a workpiece in water, oil, or air to obtain certain material properties.When hardness can be sacrificed, mineral oils are often used. These oil-based fluids often oxidize and form sludge
during quenching, which consequently lowers the efficiency of the process. The quenching velocity (cooling rate) of oil is much less than water.Heat treatment furnaces are used to achieve the processes that involve extreme heating or cooling to achieve their desired reaction.Solution Heat Treatment is a treatment in which an aluminum alloy is
heated to a suitable temperature and held at this temperature for a sufficient length of time to allow the desired constituent to enter into the solid solution, followed by rapid cooling to hold the constituent in the solution.The heat treatment process is a crucial metallurgical process that can significantly alter the properties of metal alloys. It involves
various techniques such as annealing, normalizing, hardening, tempering, nitriding, and cyaniding, each with a specific purpose and benefits. For instance, annealing is used to improve ductility, while hardening increases hardness and strength.Proper execution of these processes can result in stronger, more durable, and better-performing metal
alloys. Choosing the appropriate heat treatment process depends on the specific application and desired properties of the metal alloy. It is important to follow safety protocols and work with experienced professionals to ensure successful and safe heat treatment processes. You're Reading a Free Preview Pages 4 to 5 are not shown in this preview.
Looking to enhance the mechanical properties of your steel components?Heat treatment processes are the answer! With 12 different methods to choose from, this comprehensive guide will help you understand the ins and outs of annealing, normalizing, quenching, tempering, and more.Whether you’re looking to reduce hardness and improve
plasticity, refine grain structure, or alleviate internal stresses, a heat treatment process can help. From low to high-carbon steel, alloy steel, and high-speed steel forgings, this article covers it all.Learn how to maximize the strength and abrasion resistance of your steel with quenching, and then improve its plasticity and impact toughness with
tempering.Or, try the quenching and tempering method for exceptional mechanical properties. With so many options, you’re sure to find the right heat treatment process for your needs.Don’t miss out on this essential guide to heat treatment processes!Operation Method:The steel is heated to a temperature of Ac3 + 30 – 50 degrees, Ac1 + 30 – 50
degrees, or below Ac1 (as advised by relevant materials) and is then slowly cooled within the furnace.Objectives:To reduce hardness and improve plasticity, cutting, and pressure processing capabilities.To refine grain structure and enhance mechanical properties, as well as prepare for subsequent steps.To alleviate internal stresses that occur during
cold and hot processing.Key Applications:(1) This method is appropriate for treating alloy structured steel, carbon east-west steel, alloy east-west steel, high-speed steel forgings, welding components, and raw materials with suboptimal supply conditions.(2)Typically, this process is used in the rough condition and is called “annealing”.02
NormalizingOperation Method:To perform normalizing, heat the steel to a temperature of 30 – 50 degrees above Ac3 or Accm, and after soaking, cool it at a slightly faster rate than during annealing.Objectives:The purpose of normalizing is to reduce hardness, improve plasticity and enhance cutting and pressure processing capabilities.
It also helps to refine the grain structure, improve mechanical properties, and prepare the material for subsequent processing. Normalizing also helps to eliminate internal stresses that may have been caused by cold or hot working.Key Applications:Normalizing is commonly used as a pre-treatment process for forgings, weldments, and carburized
parts. For low to medium-carbon steels and low-alloy steel components with low functional requirements, normalizing can be performed as the final heat treatment process. However, for ordinary medium and high-alloy steels, air cooling can result in full or partial hardening, so it cannot be used as the final heat treatment process.Operation
Method:The steel piece is heated to a temperature above the Ac3 or Ac1 phase transition temperature, held for a specified duration, and then rapidly cooled in water, nitrate, oil, or air.Objectives:Quenching is typically performed to achieve a martensitic structure with high hardness.In some cases, quenching high-alloy steel (such as stainless steel or
wear-resistant steel) is done to obtain a single, uniform austenitic structure to enhance wear resistance and corrosion resistance.Key Applications:(1) Usually applied to carbon steel and alloy steel with a carbon content greater than 0.3%.(2) Quenching maximizes the strength and abrasion resistance of steel, but it also results in high internal stress
that reduces steel’s plasticity and impact toughness.Thus, tempering is necessary to obtain improved mechanical properties.Operation Method:The quenched steel parts are heated to a temperature below Ac1, held for a period of time, and then cooled in air, oil, or hot water.Objectives:To reduce or eliminate internal stress after quenching, minimize
deformation and cracking of the workpiece.To adjust hardness, improve plasticity and toughness, and achieve the mechanical properties required for the application.To stabilize the size of the workpiece.Key Applications:(1) Low temperature tempering is used when high hardness and wear resistance are desired in the quenched steel.(2) Medium
temperature tempering is used to improve the elasticity and yield strength of steel while maintaining a certain degree of toughness.(3) High temperature tempering is used to prioritize high impact toughness and plasticity, and is used when sufficient strength is present.It is generally advised to avoid tempering between 230-280 degrees for steel and
400-450 degrees for stainless steel, as this range can cause temper brittleness.Operating Procedure:The process of heating steel to a temperature that is 10-20 degrees higher than during quenching, after which quenching is performed, is referred to as quenching and tempering.After holding at high temperature, the steel is quenched, then tempered
at a temperature range of 400-720 degrees.Objectives:To enhance the cutting capability and improve the finish of the processed item.To minimize deformation and cracking during the quenching process.To achieve exceptional mechanical properties through induction.Key Applications:This process is suitable for high-hardenability alloys, such as alloy
tool steel, alloy high-speed steel, and alloy structural steel.It can serve as the final heat treatment for critical components and also as a pre-heat treatment for tight parts, such as screws, to reduce deformation during processing.Operating Procedure:The steel is heated to a temperature range of 80-200 degrees and held at this temperature for 5-20
hours or longer. After that, it is removed from the furnace and cooled in the air.Objectives:To relieve internal stress after quenching and grinding and stabilize the shape and size of the steel parts.To minimize deformation during storage or use.Key Applications:This process is suitable for all steel types after quenching.It is commonly used for tight
components whose shape does not change, such as tight screws, measuring instruments, bed frames, etc.Operating Procedure:The quenched steel components are cooled in a low-temperature medium, such as dry ice or liquid nitrogen, to a temperature of -60 to -80 degrees or lower. The temperature is then evenly removed, and the parts are allowed
to reach room temperature.Objectives:To convert most or all of the remaining austenite in the quenched steel component into martensite, thereby improving the component’s hardness, strength, wear resistance, and fatigue limit.To stabilize the shape and size of the steel components by arranging the steel structure.Key Applications:Steel components
should undergo cold treatment immediately after quenching and then be tempered at low temperature to eliminate internal stress during low-temperature cooling.Cold treatment is primarily suitable for tight tools, measuring tools, and tight components made of alloy steel.Operating Procedure:A flame produced by a mixture of oxygen and acetylene
gas is directed onto the surface of the steel component, rapidly heating it. When the desired quenching temperature is reached, the steel is immediately cooled by spraying it with water.Objectives:To improve the hardness, wear resistance, and fatigue strength of the steel component while maintaining its toughness.Key Applications:This process is
mainly used for medium-carbon steel components, and the depth of the hardened layer typically ranges from 2-6mm.It is suitable for the single-piece or small-batch production of large components and components that require partial hardening.Operating Procedure:The steel components are placed in an inductor, where the surface of the components
is subjected to an electrical current. The steel is heated to the desired quenching temperature in a very short amount of time, and then cooled by spraying with water.Objectives:To enhance the hardness, wear resistance, and fatigue strength of the steel components, while retaining their toughness.Key Applications:This process is mainly used for
medium-carbon steel and medium-alloy steel components.The depth of the induction-hardened layer depends on the frequency of the electrical current used: high-frequency induction hardening typically results in a layer that is 1 to 2mm deep, intermediate frequency hardening typically results in a layer that is 3 to 5mm deep, and high-frequency
hardening typically results in a layer that is greater than 10mm deep. This is due to the “skin effect,” where the electrical current is concentrated in the outermost layer of the component.Operation method:Place the steel parts in a carburizing medium, heat it to a temperature between 900-950 degrees and hold it there. This allows the surface of the
steel parts to form a carburizing layer with a specific concentration and depth.Objectives:To improve the external hardness, wear resistance, and fatigue strength of the steel parts while maintaining its resistance.Key Applications:(1) This method is mostly used for low-carbon steel and low-alloy steel parts with a carbon content ranging from 0.15% to
0.25%. The depth of the carburized layer is typically between 0.5mm to 2.5mm.(2) After carburizing, it’s necessary to undergo quenching to achieve martensite on the surface and complete the carburizing process.Operation Method:The surface of the steel is saturated with nitrogen through the use of active nitrogen atoms separated by ammonia gas
at temperatures between 500-600 degrees.Objectives:The hardness, wear resistance, fatigue strength, and corrosion resistance of steel parts are improved.Key Applications:This method is mostly used for medium-carbon alloy steels rich in alloy elements such as aluminum, chromium, molybdenum, carbon steel, and cast iron. The depth of the nitrided
layer is typically between 0.025 to 0.8mm.Operation method:The steel surface is treated through a combination of carburizing and nitriding.Objectives:To enhance the hardness, wear resistance, fatigue strength, and corrosion resistance of steel parts.Key Applications:(1) Primarily used for low-carbon steel, low-alloy structured steel, and cast steel
parts, with a typical nitriding layer depth of 0.02 to 3mm;(2) After nitriding, quenching and low-temperature tempering are necessary. Normalizing is a widely popular heat treatment process for metals to increase ductility and toughness. This heat treatment is also known as normalizing annealing as the normalizing heat treatment process is very
similar to annealing treatment. In this article we will learn more about normalizing; its definition, purposes, process steps, applicability, normalizing vs annealing, etc.Normalizing is defined as a heat treatment process where a material is heated to a predecided elevated temperature, hold at that temperature for a certain period of time (usually 10-20
minutes), and then allowed to cool freely in the air to reach room temperature.
The normalizing process is usually applied to metals that have been subjected to thermal or mechanical hardening processes and require their microstructure to be normalized. After normalizing, the metal gets back its ductility and the hardness is reduced.For the normalizing treatment of a metal, it must be receptive to normalizing. Various metals
and alloys are suitable to be normalized likeIron-based alloys like Carbon steel, stainless steel, alloy steel, cast iron, etc.Nickel alloysCopperAluminumBrassThe main purposes of the normalizing heat treatment on metals are:To remove structural irregularities or impurities and defects from the metal.To improve ductility that has been lost in some
metal processing.To reduce the hardness that has been increased by mechanical or thermal hardening processes.To increase the toughness of the metal.To relieve internal stresses.To get an improvement in machinability.Similar to annealing the normalizing process also follows three main stages; the Recovery stage, the Recrystallization stage, and
the grain-growth stage.

In the recovery stages of normalizing, the internal stresses are relieved by heating the material. Then the metal is heated to elevated temperatures above the recrystallization temperature of the metal where new grains are formed. Finally, in the grain growth stage of normalization, the grains develop fully when the material is cooled by
air.Normalizing treatment finds broad practical applications across several industries like Aerospace, Automotive, Heavy Equipment, Energy, Agriculture, Oil & Gas, etc. Usually, whenever metal is expected to get high residual stresses due to some kind of manufacturing steps, it is always suggested to normalize the metal using the normalizing heat-
treatment process.

A few examples include:Carbon steel is normalized when it is cold-rolled to reduce brittleness and increase ductility.After work hardening of ferritic stainless steel stampings in the automotive industry, they are normalized to regain their mechanical properties.After the thermal microstructure alteration during welding in nickel-based alloys in the
nuclear industry, normalizing is performed.Steel normalizing is a heat treatment process performed after rolling, welding, or forging processes to refine the distorted grains in the microstructure. The normalizing process of steel involves the following steps:Steel is heated to about 40-500C (Refer to Fig. 1) above the upper critical temperature (A3 or
Acm).The alloy is then held at that temperature for around 10-20 minutes.Cooling it in still or slightly agitated air to bring back to room temperature.Fig. 1: Normalizing temperature of SteelAfter normalizing, the resultant microstructure is usually perlite. The grain size in normalizing steel is governed by the section thickness.
A variation in grain size is observed as the cooling rate varies from the case to the core. The normalizing temperature of steel varies with the carbon content as is clear from Fig. 1. The following table (Table 1) provides recommended normalizing temperatures for steel.Carbon %0.10.20.30.40.60.81.01.11.2Temperature,
0C920900880860840820830900925Table 1: Recommended temperatures for normalizing steelEven though the process steps for normalizing and annealing are almost similar there are specific differences between normalizing and annealing. The differences between annealing and normalizing are provided below in a tabular (Table 2)
format.NormalizingAnnealingThe cooling rate in normalizing is faster than annealing.Slower cooling rate as compared to normalizing.Slow cooling in room temperature.Controlled slow cooling in a furnace.Mechanical Strength and hardness of normalized components are more.Strength and hardness are lower as compared to the normalized
parts.Machinability is more improved in normalizing.Annealed product is soft and thus can stick to the machine during machining.Slightly less ductility.More ductility.Less expensiveComparatively costlyTable 2: Normalizing vs AnnealingThe image in Fig. 2 shows the typical differences in nominal strength between Normalized and Annealed steel.Fig.
2: Normalized vs Annealed Steellink to Overview of Nitrogen Tanks and Cylinders (PDF)link to What is a Pre Insulated Pipe? Its Applications and Advantages (PDF)