Materials scienceLesson 2 of 2 in the course Metals and alloys

Heat Treatment: Transformations, Processes, and Specifications

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 5 fill-in sentences · English

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Summary

Heat treatment is the intentional use of heating and cooling to change a material’s properties. This lesson introduces the processes and microscopic changes that explain why heat-treated metals can become softer, harder, stronger, or more ductile.

Heat treatment is a group of thermal and metalworking processes used to alter the physical, and sometimes chemical, properties of a material. It is most commonly applied to metals, though heat treatment is also used with materials such as glass. The intended result may include softening or hardening, or a change in strength, toughness, ductility, or elasticity.

All flashcards

Diffusion in heat treatment
Movement of atoms through a material that can change how alloying elements are distributed.
Precipitation
Formation of distinct phases when atoms migrate out of solution and gather together.
Proeutectoid phase
A phase that forms before the remaining alloy reaches the eutectoid composition during cooling.
Martensite-start temperature (Ms)
The temperature at which martensitic transformation begins during cooling.
Decarburization
Loss of carbon from steel, often caused by exposure to an oxidizing environment.

Quiz questions

  1. What distinguishes heat treatment from incidental heating and cooling during manufacturing?Answer: It is done specifically to alter material properties.
  2. About what carbon content is the eutectoid composition of steel?Answer: About 0.77% carbon.
  3. How is steel commonly cooled during normalizing?Answer: It is cooled in air.
  4. Why is quenched steel commonly tempered?Answer: To improve toughness and reduce brittleness.
  5. For a case-hardened part, what does effective case depth measure?Answer: The depth that reaches a specified hardness.

Based on the Wikipedia article Heat treating, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

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