Questions

1. Using the TTT diagram for Eutectoid Steel, specify the constituents and their
approximate percentages of a small specimen subjected to the following time temperature
treatments. All begin with a completely Austenized specimen:

a) Rapidly cool to 650C, hold for 100 seconds, then quench to room temperature

After rapid cooling and holding at 600C for 100 seconds, the entire specimen has
transformed to fine pearlite. Therefore, during the room temperature no additional
transformations will occur. Hence, the final microstructure consists of 100% fine pearlite.

b) Rapidly cool to 500C, hold for 100 seconds, then quench to room temperature

After rapidly cool to 500C and hold for 100 seconds, the entire specimen has
transformed to bainite. Therefore, during the cooling to room temperature no additional
transformations will occur. Hence, the final microstructure consists of 100% bainite.

c) Rapidly cool to 350C, hold for 100 seconds, then quench to room temperature

After cooling and holding at 350C for 100 s, approximately 40% of the specimen has
transformed to bainite. Upon cooling to room temperature, the remaining 60% transforms to
martensite. Hence, the final microstructure consists of about 40% bainite and 60% martensite.

d) Rapidly cool to 100C, hold for 100 seconds, then quench to room temperature

After cooling to and holding at 100C for 100 seconds, no of the transformation begin
lines have been crossed, and therefore, the specimen is 100% austenite. Upon cooling
rapidly to room temperature, the entire specimen transforms to martensite, such that the
final microstructure is 100% martensite.

e) Rapidly cool to 500C, hold for 4 seconds, then quench to 300C, hold for 200 seconds,
then quench to room temperature

After cooling to and holding at 500C for 4 s, approximately 25% of the specimen has
transformed to bainite. During the rapid cooling to 300C no transformations occur. At
300C we start timing again at zero time; while holding at 300C for 200 seconds,
approximately 10 percent of the remaining unreacted 75% (or 7.5% of the original
specimen) will transform to bainite. And upon cooling to room temperature, the
remaining 67.5% of the original specimen transforms to martensite. Hence, the final
microstructure consists of about 32.5% bainite, and 67.5% martensite.

2. Briefly explain the steps involved in the following heat treatments of low alloy steels.
Discuss the expected microstructure for each treatment and how if affects the mechanical
properties.
a) Normalizing Process where the material are making to be softer but does not produce
the uniform material properties like annealing. In this experiment material is bake in the
furnace until 900C for 20 minute and then will be cooling in the room temperature.
Normalizing is applied to reverse the embrittling effects of cold work. By heating the
sample into the austenite range and allowing recrytallization, the grain structure is refined
and relatively small grains are formed by allowing the sample to slow-cool in air

b) Quenching For this process material are bake in the furnace at 900C and hold the
temperature for 20 minute and then will be rapid cooling using oil or salt water. This
method will increase hardness of material but also will increase their brittleness. The
various microstructures that may be produced for a given steel alloy, martensite is the
hardest and strongest and, in addition, the most brittle.

c) Tempering For tempering material are carried out by preheating previously normalizing
steel to a temperature below critical range and then holding and cooling into room
temperature to obtain desired mechanical properties. These processes are done to reduce
the brittleness of material. Martensite in the as-quenched state, in addition to being very
hard, is so brittle that it cannot be used for most applications. The ductility and toughness
of martensite are enhanced, and the internal stresses relieved, through the Tempering
process.

d) Annealing - Process for softening materials to change their properties such as

machinability, mechanical or electrical properties. The annealing process consist three
stage where the material is bake in furnace at 900C and then holding the desire
temperature for 20 minute and lastly the material will cool down inside the furnace.
Process Annealing is used to relieve stresses, increase ductility and modify the
microstructure, and also involves in recovery, recrystallization and grain growth.

3. When Austempering steel, after the 30 minutes in the 400C bath specimen is removed
from the bath and can be either quenched in water or allowed to air cool at room
temperature. Will these two procedures produce different results? Explain. (Check
sources outside the modules)

Austempering facilitates the formation of a Bainitic structure that exhibits an excellent

balance between high strength and ductility. The result is different because when
quenched in water the material will rapid cool and cause the properties change to more
brittle and also increase the hardness while if the material is cooling slowly in room
temperature the brittleness of material will decrease and also strengthen the material.

4. What is decarburization? What causes it and how is it prevented? How does it affect the
properties of heat treated steels? (Check sources outside the modules)

Decarburizations happen when steel are heat at high temperature and it will suffer
oxidation and variations in the carbon content. It causes by high temperature of heating
and uncontrolled atmospheres. These issues can be preventing by doing the experiment in
protected atmospheres and using vacuum technology. Decarburization results in low
surface hardness and a risk of cracking.

Reference
William D. Callister, Materials Science and Engineering : An Introduction, Seventh Edition.
http://www.engineershandbook.com/MfgMethods/quenching.htm