What is Heat Treating?
Heat treating metal involves applying heat to a material to alter its physical or chemical properties. This process can be used to improve the strength, hardness, corrosion resistance, or thermal conductivity of metal alloys.
Types of Heat Treatment Procedures
- Metallurgy heating and annealing
- Powder metallurgy quenching and tempering
- Thermal diffusion treatment
Heat treating metal involves several steps, including heating the material to a specific temperature, holding it at that temperature for a certain period of time, and then cooling it quickly to prevent deformation or distortion.
- Heating the metal to a specific temperature (usually below the melting point) using a heat source such as an electric furnace, gas flame, or chemical reaction
- Holding the heated material at that temperature for a certain period of time (typically 1-10 hours)
- Cooling the material quickly using air, water, or another coolant to prevent deformation or distortion