TEMPERING

Material are tempered by reheating after hardening to obtain specific values of mechanical
properties. It usually follow by quenching from above the critical temperature and cooling
back to room temperature.
Under certain conditions. hardness may remain unaffected hy tempering or may even be
increased as a result of it. For example, tempering a hardened steel at very low tempering
temperatures may cause no change in hardness but may achieve a desired increase in yield
strength.
PURPOSE
Relieve quenching stresses, ensure dimensional stability, reduce hardness by welding
Mechanical properties of heat treatment of tempering

Mechanical properties of heat treatment of tempering

TTT diagram of heat treatment of tempering

MARTEMPERING OR STEPPED QUENCHING

After heating the steel to a hardening temperature, it is quenched in the medium

having a temperature, from 150C to 300C.

The specimen is held until it reaches the temperature of medium and then its cooled

further to room temperature in air and sometimes in oil,

temperature to be reached throughout the cross section but long enough to cause

austenitic decomposition.
The holding time in the quenching bath should be sufficient to enable a uniform
temperature to be reached throughout the cross section but long enough to cause

austenitic decomposition.
Austenite is transformed into martensite during the subsequent period of cooling to

room temperature.
This treatment will provide a structure of martensite and retained austenite in the
hardened steel.

TTT diagram of heat treatment of martempering

Mechanical properties of heat treatment of martempering

AUSTEMPERING OR ISOTERMAL QUENCHING

This is the second method that can be used to overcome the restrictions of

conventional quench and tempering.

The quench is carried out at higher temperature than martempering to reach uniform

temperature.
By maintaining that temperature, both the center and the surface are allowed to
transform to Bainite and are then cooled to room temperature.

TTT diagram of heat treatment of austempering

Mechanical properties of heat treatment of austempering

Normalizing

Steel (or any material) is heated to a temperature below the abover critical temperature, and is
held at this temperature for sufficient time and then cool in still air.

The normalizing consists of heating steel to about 40-55 C above critical temperature
(Ac3 or Accm), and holding for proper item and then cooling in still air or slightly

agitated air to room temperature.

In some special cases, cooling rates can be controlled by either changing air

temperature or air volume.

After normalizing, the resultant micro-structure should be pearlitic.
Since the temperature involved in this process is more than that for annealing , the
homogeneity of austenite increases and it results in better dispersion of ferrite and

Cementite in the final structure.

Results in better dispersion of ferrite and Cementite in the final structure.The grain

size is finer in normalized structure than in annealed structure.

Normalized steels are generally stronger and harder than fully annealed steels.
Steels are soft in annealed condition and tend to stick during machining. By
normalizing, an optimum combination of strength and softness is achieved, which
results in satisfactory level of Machinability in steels.
Normalizing is the effective way to eliminate the carbide network.

Purpose

To refine the grain structure

To obtain uniform structure
To decrease residual stresses
To improve Machinability

Change in microstructure of heat treatment of normalizing and annealing

Mechanical properties of heat treatment of normalizing

TTT diagram of heat treatment of normalizing

MATERIAL SCIENCE
DAM 20802
Section 2
Member :
1) Tang Kok Leong
2) Muhammad Naim bin Md Yunos
3) Siti Nordiana bt Idris
4) Muhammad Faris Fauzan Bin Abd Jalil

AA15O795
AA151558
AA150857
AA150761