HEAT TREATMENT

Mechanical properties of any metal or alloy can be changed by varying the relative proportions of micro constituents. In practice change in mechanical properties is achieved by a process known as heat treatment.This process consists of heating a metal or alloy to a specific predetermined temperature holding at this temperature for required time and finally cooling from this temperature.All these operations are carried out in solid state.Sometimes it becomes neccesary to repeat these operations to impart some charecteristics.Therefore heat treatment may be defined as Heating and cooling operations applied tometals and alloys in solid state so as to obtain the desired properties. Heat treatment of metal is an important operation in the final fabrication process of many engineering components. The object of this process is to make the metal better suited, structurally and physically for some specific applications. Heat treatment may be undertaken for the following purposes: Improvement in ductility Relieving internal stresses Refinement of grain size

Increasing hardness or tensile strength and achieving changes in chemical composition of metal surfaces as in the case of case hardening.

COMMON PROCEDURES 1.Preheat and inter pass control Prevent hydrogen cracking(drive off moisture ,reduce cooling rate ,increase hydrogen diffusion.)Redistribution solidification stress.Minimize brittleness. 2.Hydrogen Bake Out Removes hydrogen and water.Prevent cracking and facilitates diffusion 3.Post weld heat treatment(PWHT) 1.Relax residual stress hydrogen removal . 2.Avoid cracking. 3.Dimensional stability. 4.Impose ductility and corrosive resistance. 5.Toughness. PROCESS CARRIED OUT IN HEAT TREATMENT ARE: 1.Annealing Annealing consists of heating a metal to a specific temperature and then cooling at a rate that will produce a refined microstructure. Annealing is most often used to soften a metal for cold working, to improve machinability, or to enhance properties like electrical conductivity In ferrous alloys, annealing is usually accomplished by heating the metal beyond the upper critical temperature and then cooling very slowly,

resulting in the formation of pearlite. In both pure metals and many alloys that can not be heat treated, annealing is used to remove the hardness caused by cold working. The metal is heated to a temperature where recrystallization can occur, thereby repairing the defects caused by plastic deformation. In these metals, the rate of cooling will usually have little effect. Most non-ferrous alloys that are heat-treatable are also annealed to relieve the hardness of cold working. These may be slowly cooled to allow full precipitation of the constituents and produce a refined microstructure. Ferrous alloys are usually either "full annealed" or "process annealed." Full annealing requires very slow cooling rates, in order to form coarse pearlite. In process annealing, the cooling rate may be faster; up to, and including normalizing. The main goal of process annealing is to produce a uniform microstructure. Non-ferrous alloys are often subjected to a variety of annealing techniques, including "recrystallization annealing," "partial annealing," "full annealing," and "final annealing." Not all annealing techniques involve recrystallization, such as stress relieving. 2.Tempering It is used to remove some of the brittleness &hardness of steel after hardening.Suitable temperature for tempering vary considerably.Tempering by colour still provides an accurate &reliable method of dealing with plain carbon steels. Hacksaws blades 220 &penknife 250 light brown. 3.Normalising It is done to obtain a structure that is uniform throughout the work piece &it is free from any locked up stress.Similar to annealing ,but cooling rate is accelerate by taking work piece from the furnace &allowing it to cool in free air.This move rapid cooling results in a finer grain

structures ,which in terms leads to improved physical properties &improved finishes when machining 4.Hardening Hardening of steel is done to increase the strength &wear properties .Carbon steel is heated 30 to 50 above the upper critical point & quenched quickly. The quicker the steel is cooled the harder it will be. 5.QUENCHING: Quenching is a process of cooling a metal very quickly. This is most often done to produce a martensite transformation. In ferrous alloys, this will often produce a harder metal, while non-ferrous alloys will usually become softer than normal Types of hardening 1.Flame and industries hardening. 2.Carburizing 3.Nitriding 4.Cyaniding 5.Carbouitriding 6.Ferrtic nitro carburizing All carbon &alloy steels are suitable for case hardening.Flame &induction is done by heating at high temperature and then cooled rapidly for low carbon steel of 0.4 to0.6 wt of carbon.Low carbon steel of 0.1 to 0.3%of carbon is heated at elevated temperature in

carbon atmosphere &quenched to lock the carbon in structure (pack carbourising).In nitriding heating the part at 482C to 621C in ammonia gas &dissociated ammonia(Cr,Mo,& Al elements includes part in little distorted hence it can be hardened alter being quenched tempered &machined. )

Effects of time and temperature

Time-temperature transformation (TTT) diagram for steel. Proper heat treating requires precise control over temperature, the amount of time that an alloy remains at a certain temperature, and in the cooling rates of the particular technique. With the exception of stress-relieving, tempering, and aging, most heat treatments begin by heating an alloy beyond the upper transformation (A3) temperature. The alloy will usually be held at this temperature long enough for the heat to completely penetrate the alloy, thereby bringing it into a complete solid solution. Since a smaller grain size usually enhances mechanical properties, such as toughness, shear strength and tensile strength, these metals are often heated to a temperature that is just above the upper critical temperature, in order to prevent the grains of solution from growing too large. For instance, when steel is heated above the upper critical temperature, small grains of austenite form. These grow larger as temperature is increased. When cooled very quickly, during a martensite transformation, the austenite grain size

directly affects the martensitic grain size. Larger grains have large grainboundaries, which serve as weak spots in the structure. The grain size is usually controlled to reduce the probability of breakage. The diffusion transformation is very time dependent. Cooling a metal will usually suppress the precipitation to a much lower temperature. Austenite, for example, usually only exists above the upper critical temperature. However, if the austenite is cooled quickly enough, the transformation may be suppressed for hundreds of degrees below the lower critical temperature. Such austenite is highly unstable and, if given enough time, will precipitate into various microstructures of ferrite and cementite. The cooling rate can be used to control the rate of grain growth or can even be used to produce partially martensitic microstructures.However, the martensite transformation is timeindependent. If the alloy is cooled to the martensite transformation (Ms) temperature before other microstructures can fully form, the transformation will usually occur at just under the speed of sound. When austenite is cooled slow enough that a martensite transformation does not occur, the austenite grain size will have an effect on the rate of nucleation, but it is generally temperature and the rate of cooling that controls the grain size and microstructure. When austenite is cooled extremely slow, it will form large ferrite crystals filled with spherical inclusions of cementite. This microstructure is referred to as "sphereoidite." If cooled a little faster, then coarse pearlite will form. Even faster, and fine pearlite will form. If cooled even faster, bainite will form. Similarly, these microstructures will also form if cooled to a specific temperature and then held there for a certain amount of time. Most non-ferrous alloys are also heated in order to form a solution. Most often, these are then cooled very quickly to produce a martensite transformation, putting the solution into a supersaturated state. The alloy, being in a much softer state, may then be cold worked. This cold working increases the strength and hardness of the alloy, and the defects caused by plastic deformation tend to speed up precipitation, increasing the hardness beyond what is normal for the alloy. Even if not cold worked, the solutes in these alloys will usually precipitate, although the

process may take much longer. Sometimes these metals are then heated to a temperature that is below the lower critical (A1) temperature, preventing recrystallization, in order to speed-up the precipitation, Quality Control Each completed furnace undergoes an extensive series of tests. Checks for proper operation of the flue draft and air circulation blowers are performed. The gas valve is checked for proper operation. The heat output of the furnace in BTUs is measured. A dielectric test is performed for shorts Carburizing is the absorption and diffusion of carbon into solid ferrous alloys by heating to a temperature above Ac3, in contact with a suitable carbonaceous material. A form of case hardening that produces a carbon gradient extending inward from the surface, enabling the surface layer to be hardened either by quenching directly from the carburizing temperature or by cooling to room temperature, the reaustenitizing and quenching. Carbonitriding is a case hardening process in which a suitable ferrous material is heated above the lower transformation temperature in a gaseous atmosphere of such composition as to cause simultaneous absorption of carbon and nitrogen the the surface and, by diffusion, create a concentration gradient. The process is completed by cooling at a rate that produces the desired properties in the work. Castings Metal items formed by casting have a distinct microstructure from wrought products. Typically in wrought products, the microstructure has a directional bias; as a plate or bar is rolled down to size, the grains in the metal are stretched out in one direction, and are very narrow through the bar or plate thickness. Cast material usually has a more uniform grain structure. As a casting solidifies, insulation and chilling can be used to influence the microstructure to assure uniform or beneficial properties in the finished product. All of the heat treatments applied to wrought products can be applied equally as well to castings.

Equipment Various types of furnaces are used for heat treating, depending on the specific alloy requirements. Usually surface finish determines the general furnace type; if exposure to oxygen is not detrimental, an open furnace or fluidized bed furnace may be used. If a material, such as titanium, is particularly sensitive to oxygen or nitrogen, a vacuum furnace may be used in order to provide the highest possible cleanliness. For most common alloys, some measure of atmosphere control is used to limit any damage to the surface of a work piece.The type, size and quantity of pieces usually determines the specific kind of furnace to be used. For small ferrous pieces, a mesh belt furnace may most appropriate. For larger pieces or greater throughput a cast link or roller hearth furnace may be used. Aluminum pieces may be treated in box furnaces or pusher type continuous furnaces, with or without atmosphere control. Items requiring hardening by quenching may be processed in an integral quench furnace using oil or water; a molten salt bath may be used if a higher finish temperature is desired. Vacuum furnaces can also harden by the use of high pressure gas quenching All the furnaces used in engine division are electrically controlled. MUFFLE FURNACE: Two muffle furnaces are used(18A and18B).The temperature working range of the first furnace is 700-1100.c and that of the second furnace is 6001050.c.Furnace is of class 4 and type D.The class is decided based on the temperature uniformity of the furnace. Steps carried out for heat treatment in muffle furnace are: 1.Check for the calibration status of the furnace

2.Ensure cleanliness of the part 3.Check for the fixture specified in heat treatment drawing 4.Set the p/d temperature 5.Set the excess temperature controller 6.Switch on the recorder 7.After reaching the set temperature,load the part into the furnace using loading trolley 8.Set the soaking timer for soaking, observe the soaking cycle 9.Check for the furnace ,remove the part from the furnace using loading trolley.Quench second time in oil.