INTRODUCTION

Heat treatment of steels consists of operations which subject steel to a time definite temperature
cycle involving heating, holding at temperature and cooling inorder to obtain desired properties.
The heating rate is dependent on conditions the steel is subjected to ie. If it's imparted by severe
cold working the rate of heating is slowed down otherwise in normal operations the heating rate
is not addressed as issue of much concern. Steel is held at a constant temperature to ensure
uniformity of the temperature throughout its volume. This shows that thin sections need not to be
soaked as long as thicker sections. If a material has different thickness, then period for soaking is
determined by thickest section. The final properties and structure of a steel all depend on the
cooling rate ie. At critical cooling rate all austenite transforms to martensite and when it’s not
achieved there is partial formation with some ferrite, pearlite and bainite .The cooling rate is
dependent on the mass, carbon content and the cooling media. In general heat treatment is done
to provide optimum distribution of two or more phases in a microstructure. The aim is to produce
a microstructure containing a uniform distribution of many tiny hard precipitate particles in a soft
ductile matrix. The main objective of holding a steel at heat treatment temperature is to ensure
uniformity of temperature throughout its whole volume. The structure and properties of a steel
depend on its rate of cooling, which is controlled by factors that include: mass, quenching media,
and many more. The thicker the section, the slower the rate of cooling.

The summary of various heat treatment of steel is as showed above.

DISCUSSION
Heat treatment methods include:

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ANNEALING
This are treatments done to steels intended to alter the physical properties inorder to produce a
definite microstructure or remove gases. This process involves a series heating and a cooling to a
temperature at which the atoms can move and arrange themselves into a more stable structure.
The purposeof the experiment, the temperature of operation and the cooling rate all depend on
the material being annealed. There are several annealing processes which include:
· Full annealing
Its softening process where steel is heated to a temperature above the transformation range and
after a certain period of time the steel is cooled to a temperature below the transformation range.
Inorder to attain a slow cooling rate the steel is cooled in a medium such as lime/ashes and mica.
The carbon content in the steel greatly affects the transformation temperature Ie. Higher carbon
steels tend to undergo full annealing at lower temperatures as compared to lower carbon steels.
The microstructures of the hypoeutectoid steels produced after full annealing are almost similar
to that present at equilibrium conditions. Hypereutectoid steels are not heated to complete
austenite state because on slow cooling cementite would form a continuous film resulting in
brittleness. Hypereutectoid steels and eutectoid steels speroidize partially or completely on full
annealing.
· Process annealing
It's an inter stage annealing process done to remove the effect of cold working in low carbon
steels ie containing about 0.25%C by softening the steel suffiently to allow further cold working.
The steels are heated to temperature close to but below the eutectoid temperature. A lower range
of temperature at about 1000F is used when the steel is not further cold worked but a relief of
internal stresses is desired. Process anneling results in recrystallization and softening of the cold
worked ferrite grains but will not affect the small amounts of the cold worked pearlite.
· Spheroidization
It’s a process of heating and cooling steel to produce a rounded or globular form of carbide in a
matrix of ferrite. The process is carried out by prolonged heating below the eutectoid
temperature but may be facilitated by alternately heating at temperatures above the eutectoid
temperature and cooled to temperature just above the critical. The final step consists of holding
at a temperature just below the critical. The rate of cooling is immaterial after slowly cooling to
about 1000F. The rate of spheroidization is affected by initial structure. The finer the pearlite the
more readily spheroidization is completed. A martensitic structure is very amenable to
spheroidization. This treatment is done to high carbon steels
(o.6%C and above). The aim of the treatment is to improve machinability and is used to
condition high carbon steels for cold-drawing into wire

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· Stress relief annealing
This process is done to reduce the residual stresses in large steel castings, welded assemblies and
cold formed products. The parts are heated to temperature below the eutectoid temperature held
for a period of time then cooled slowly to prevent the creation of additional stresses.
Temperature and amount of time vary with the condition of the component but the basic
microstructure and associated mechanical properties generally remain unchanged.
NORMALIZING
It’s the process which steel is heated to a temperature above 1500F the cooled in air. The purpose
of the treatment is to obliterate the effects of the previous heat treatment process including the
coarse-grained structure sometimes resulting from high forging temperatures or cold working
and to ensure a homogenous austenite or reheating for hardening or full annealing. Depending
on the composition Pearlite or pearlite with excess ferrite or cementite are the structures formed.
Normalizing results in structures with less excess ferrite or cementite and finer pearlite in steels
containing the same carbon content in hypo and hyper eutectoid ranges. The rate of cooling
affects the mechanical properties and the type of structure. Considerable variations occur in
normalized steels due to the differences in section thickness of the shapes.
CASE HARDENING
It’s a process of hardening a ferrous alloy so that the surface layer is made substantially harder
than the interior or core. The chemical composition of the surface layer is altered during the
treatment by the ad- dition of carbon, nitrogen, or both. Case hardening processes include:
· Carbonitriding
It’s a process of cast hardening a steel part in gas carburizing atmosphere that contains ammonia
in controlled percentages. In this process nitrogen and carbon is added to the steel and the
process carried out between the eutectoid temperature and 1700F. Quenching in oil is sufficiently
fast to attain maximum surface hardness and the moderate cooling minimizes distortion. The
depth to which carbon and nitrogen penetrate varies with temperature and the period of time.
· Carburizing
It’s a process that introduces carbon into solid ferrous alloy by heating the metal in contact with
a carbonaceous material to a temperature 1500F of the steel and holding at that temperature. The
depth of penetration of carbon is dependent on temperature, amount of time at the temperature,
and the composi tion of the carburizing agent.
· Cyaniding
It’s a process that produces a hard superficial case on low carbon steels. This process involves
introducing carbon and nitrogen into the surface layers of the low carbon steels. The steels are
heated in molten bath of cyanide-carbonate chloride salts and then quenched in brine, water or
mineral oil. The process is carried out at temperatures between 1550 and 1600F. The depth of
penetration of carbon and nitrogen is dependent on temperature, time of immersion and
composition of cyanide bath.

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· Nitriding
It’s the process of subjecting machined and heat-treated steel free from decarburization to the
action of a nitrogenous medium, usually ammonia gas, at a temperature of about 950 to 1,050 F
resulting in a hard surface. Absorption of nitrogen causes the surface hardening effect hence the
subsequent heat treatment of steel is unnecessary.
TEMPERING
It’s the process of toughening martensitic steels while retaining adequate strength. This process
involves reheating martensitic or normalized steels to a temperature below the lower critical
depending on the carbon content and the final hardness desired. The rate of cooling is immaterial
except for steels that are susceptible to temper brittleness.As the temperature increases the
martensite is gradually changed into bcc structure consisting of spheroids of cementite in a
matrix of ferrite. The particles arrest dislocation movement improving strength while the ductile
ferrite deforms improving the toughness.
HARDENING
It’s the process of hardening steels through heating at a temperature above 1500F, subjecting it
at that constant temperature for sufficient period of time until attainment of uniform solution of
carbon in the austenite, then cooling it rapidly. Complete hardening depends on the cooling
rate.Austenite transforms to martensite on cooling. Slow cooling in oil or air is done to avoid
distortion and cracking.Maximum hardeness obtained in completely hardened low alloy and
plain carbon structural steels depends on the carbon content.
SURFACE HARDENING
It’s the process of hardening the surface of the steel without altering its chemical composition on
the surface layers. This is achieved by rapid heating for a short period of time and quenching the
surface layers. Types of surface hardening include:
· Flame hardening
It’s the process of heating the surface layers of steel above the transformation temperature by
means of high temperature flame and then quenching. The flame impinges directly on the surface
layers of steel at rapid heating rate followed by quenching Ie. Through a water spray.
· Induction hardening
In this process a high frequency current is passed through a coil surrounding the steel where the
surface layers are heated through electromagnetic induction. Heating rate is more rapid than that
of flame hardening. The depth to which the heated zones extend depends on the frequency of the
current. Rate of cooling, rate of energy input duration and the duration of heating are done to
precision inorder to achieve the desired surface hardness.

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SPECIAL TREATMENTS
Austempering/Isothermal tempering
It involves heating steel above the transformation temperature and then quenching into a hot bath
held at a temperature below at which the fine pearlite would form. The resulting structure is
bainite which has similar properties as tempered martensite.
Cold treatment
Retained austenite during transformation of austenite to martensite may be partially or fully
transformed by cooling below atmospheric temperature, through this process.
Ausforming
Medium-carbon alloy steels are first austenitized then rapidly cooled to temperature range above
Ma in the bay of the s-curve, between the pearlite and bainite transformation bands.
Martempering
The process is done to avoid quench cracks. Steel is heated above its transformation temperature
then quenched into a salt bath held at temperature above or equal to Ms . The steel is maintained
in the salt bath until its temperature is uniform and then cooled in air . At this temperature
cooling and formation of martensite can be done at much slower rate resulting in uniform
cooling essential in avoiding quench cracks.

CONCLUSION
This report has summarized the various methods of steel heat treatment available. This include
Annealing (full, process, spheroidizing), Normalizing, Hardening, Tempering, Case hardening
(carburizing, cyaniding, carbonitriding, nitriding), Surface hardening (induction, flame) and
Special treatment (austempering, mertempering, cold treatment, ausforming). All listed methods
work under varying conditions but following the same order of 3 phases: heating, holding at
temperature and cooling.

RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Heat treated steels are more preferable for use due to increased strength and hardness,
thus more durable.
2. Heat treatment is encouraged as it makes steel harder but also softer thus helps in
machining.
3. Products of heat treated steels are more recommended as they are durable, easy to weld
and have a higher wear resistance.

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REFERENCE LIST
I. American Society for Metals, Metals handbook (1948) and Vol. 1 and 2 (1961 and 1964,
respectively), Am. Soc. Metals, Metals Park, Ohio.
II. Malcolm S. Burton, Applied metallurgy for engineers (McGraw-Hill Book Co., Inc.,
New York, N.Y., 1956) 407 pages.
III. M. A. Grossmann, Principles of heat treatment, Am. Soc. Metals, Metals Park, Ohio
(1953) 303 pages.
IV. Samuel L. Hoyt, Metal Data (Reinhold Publishing 1 Corp., New York, N.Y., 1952) 526
pages.
V. J. M. Camp and C. B. Francis, The making, shaping and treating of steel, 7th edition U.S.
Steel Corp., Pittsburgh, Pa. (1957) 1048 pages