Heat treatment. Normalizing of steel

Playlist “Materials science“ Normalizing of steel, in comparison with annealing, is a shorter-term heat treatment process, and, therefore, it is more productive. After normalizing alloys acquire a fine-grained structure and higher strength and hardness than after annealing. Normalizing is accomplished by heating the steel at least 30-50 degrees above the GSE line. After sufficient time has been allowed for the alloy to transform at this temperature it is cooled in still air. Normalizing is used to correct the coarse grain structure of steel, to improve machinability by cutting and structure before quenching. Normalizing of hypereutectoid steels eliminates the secondary cementite network along the pearlite grain boundaries. Normalizing can also be a final heat treatment, for example, for rolled steel.