Knowing how to use a heat treatment to enhance the performance of a given part or component made of a specific metal or alloy is always important. In some cases, the Original Equipment Manufacturer may rely on the heat treatment company to recommend the ideal option for a given order.
Working with a top heat treatment service may also provide the option for the Original Equipment Manufacturer to consider a more effective heat treatment. In some cases, normalizing heat treatment may be the most effective and the ideal solution.
For steel and other ferrous material parts and components, normalizing heat treatment is a very common recommendation. This, like all heat treatments, allows for the heating of the material to a specific point to change or alter the physical and the chemical properties of the given alloy or metal.
Why Use Normalizing?
Through the normalizing treatment, the steel is heated to a temperature above that of the austenite phase for the given alloy. For most metals, this is between 1320 and 1796 degrees Fahrenheit. The carbon content of the metal will be used to determine the ideal temperature.
This temperature is maintained based on the thickness of the material, which allows for a more uniform size of carbide, or a fine pearlite structure in the metal. The results of this process, which includes cooling to room temperature in still air or moving air, creates increased strength and hardness for the metal. This will be superior to annealing due to the slower cooling process.
The use of normalizing heat treatment is also important for steel after it has been forged or cold worked. By using the normalizing process, the weaknesses in the metal developed through cold working and forging can be reversed. This is also the same reason it is often used for stress relief for cast metal parts.