Martempering

Martempering is a heat treatment for steel involving austenitisation followed by step

quenching, at a rate fast enough to avoid the formation of ferrite, pearlite or bainite to a
temperature slightly above the Ms point.
Soaking must be long enough to avoid the formation of bainite. The advantage of martempering
is the reduction of thermal stresses compared to normal quenching. This prevents cracking and
minimises distortion.
Martempering is used to produce martensite without developing the high stresses that usually
accompany its formation. It is similar to conventional hardening except that distortion is
minimized. Nevertheless, the characteristic brittleness of the martensite remains in a gray iron
casting after martempering, and martempered castings are almost always tempered. The casting
is quenched from above the transformation range in a salt, oil, or lead bath: held in the bath at a
temperature slightly above the range at which martensite forms (200 to 260C for unalloyed
irons) only until the casting has reached the bath temperature; and then cooled to room
temperature.
If a wholly martensitic structure is desired, the casting must be held in the hot quench bath only
long enough to permit it to reach the temperature of the bath.
Introduction
MARTEMPERING is a term used to describe an interrupted quench from the austenitizing
temperature of certain alloy,cast, tool, and stainless steels. The purpose is to delay the cooling
just above the martensitic transformation for a length of time to equalize the temperature
throughout the piece. This will minimize the distortion, cracking, and residual stress. The
term martempering is somewhat misleading and is better described as marquenching. The
microstructure after martempering is essentially primary martensitic that is untempered and
brittle.
Figure 1(a and b) shows the significant difference between conventional quenching and
martempering. Martempering of steel (and of cast iron) consists of:
Quenching from the austenitizing temperature into a hot fluid medium (hot oil, molten salt,
molten metal, or a fluidized particle bed) at a temperature usually above the martensite range
(Ms point)
Holding in the quenching medium until the temperature throughout the steel is substantially
uniform
Cooling (usually in air) at a moderate rate to prevent large differences in temperature between
the outside and the center of the section
Formation of martensite occurs fairly uniformly throughout the workpiece during cooling to
room temperature, thereby avoiding formation of excessive amounts of residual stress.
Straightening or forming is also easily accomplished upon removal from the marquenching bath
while the part is still hot. The piece will hold its shape upon subsequent cooling in
fixturing or in air cooling after removal from the forming die. The marquenching can be
accomplished in a variety of baths including hot oil, molten salt, molten metal, or a fluidized
particle bed. Martempered parts are tempered in the same manner as conventional quenched
parts. The time lapse before tempering is not as critical because the stress is greatly
reduced.

Advantages
The advantage of martempering lies in the reduced thermal gradient between surface and center
as the part is quenched to the isothermal temperature and then is air cooled to room temperature.
Residual stresses developed during martempering are lower than those developed during
conventional quenching because the greatest thermal variations occur while the steel is in the
relatively plastic austenitic condition and because final transformation and thermal changes
occur throughout the part at approximately the same time. Martempering also reduces or
eliminates susceptibility to cracking.
Another advantage of martempering in molten salt is the control of surface carburizing or
decarburizing. When the austenitizing bath is neutral salt and is controlled by the addition of
methane gas or proprietary rectifiers to maintain its neutrality, parts are protected with a residual
coating of neutral salt until immersed in the marquench bath.
Although martempering is used primarily to minimize distortion, eliminate cracking, and
minimize residual stresses, it also greatly reduces the problems of pollution and fire hazard as
long as nitrate-nitrite salts are used rather than martempering oils. This is especially true where
nitrate-nitrite salts are recovered from wash waters with systems that provide essentially no
discharge of salts into drains. Any steel part or grade of steel responding to oil quenching can be
martempered to provide similar physical properties. The quenching severity of molten salt is
greatly enhanced by agitation and water additions to the nitrate-salt bath. Both techniques are
particularly beneficial in heat treating of carbon steels that have limited hardenability.ictate the
duration of martempering.
Martempering
Hardened Martensite steel strips are obtained as shown in the typical I-t diagram, by quenching
the steel to the Ms point. The steel must be held at this temperature long enough for the center of
the Steel to cool to the same temperature, but not so long as to form Bainite.

This martensitic structure has extremely high hardness and lack of ductility until it is tempered
to convert it into a ductile material with a high elasticity limit and the hardness required.

Austempering
Definition: Quenching from a temperature above the transformation range to a temperature
above the upper limit of martensite formation, and holding at this temperature until the austenite
is completely transformed to the desired intermediate structure, for the purpose of conferring
certain mechanical properties.
Austempering is a hardening process that is used on metals to promote better mechanical
properties.
These properties include:

Higher ductility
Resistance to shock

Uniform Hardness

The Process
The metal is heated into the austenite region and then immediately quenched in a "salt bath" or
heat extraction medium that is between temperatures of 570 - 710 degrees Fahrenheit. The metal
is held here until the austenite turns to Bainite or Ausferrite. The part is then removed from the
salt bath and rinsed in a room temperature brine to remove excess salts. Since this reaction takes
place over several minutes or hours, Austempering produces a material that has uniform growth
and a stronger microstructure.
Other heat treatments start the same but quench in a medium that is closer to room temperature
causing martensite to form. Martensite is a much harder but also more brittle material than
bainite.
Advantages

Less Distortion
Greater Ductility

Parts are plater friendly due to the clean surface from the salt quench

Uniform and consistent Hardness

Tougher and More Wear Resistant

Higher Impact and Fatigue Strengths

Resistance to Hydrogen Embrittlement

Austempering should be used for

Material used: SAE 1045 to 1095, 4130, 4140, 5060, 5160, 6150, 8740, C1050
If the material thickness is between 0.008 and 0.150 inches

Required hardness needed in between HRC 38-52

Material prone to distortion

References
1. ^ http://metals.about.com/library/bldef-Austempering.htm
2. ^ http://www.appliedprocess.com/austempering/default.htm
3. ^ http://www.austemperinc.com/austempering.asp?pid=39

Austemper, Inc.
Austemper, Inc. has specialized in the austempering of small spring steel components to
the automotive industry for nearly twenty-five years. Their heat treat customers count on
them for practical straight forward recommendation to solve all their distortion problems
and specific needs on all new, prospective and existing parts.
The company has an excellent reputation for personalized service; each customer is given
special attention regardless of size or location. The continuous belt furnaces are equipped
with the most recent technology in austempering, which allows them to process fragile
parts efficiently while maintaining high quality of standards.
Knowledge, quality, and service are the keys to success in today's high-tech market.
Austemper's devotion to providing superior heat treating services is evidenced by the
thorough quality assurance systems they have established. Furthermore, the ISO/TS
16949:2002 certification dictates that strict tolerances are met throughout each production
run.
Metallurgical Service
Austemper, Inc. has a fully integrated metallurgical lab, which can test product to insure
the customer's specifications are met. Austemper, Inc. also performs failure analysis and
microstructure examination.
What is Austempering?
The Austemper process offers more benefits compared to the conventional oil quench and temper
method of heat treating metal components like springs and stampings that requires the uppermost
in distortion control. This process provides excellent distortion control, with resistance to
embrittlement. The process consists of quenching the part from the proper austentizing
temperature directly into a liquid salt bath at a temperature between 310 Deg C to 377 Deg C.
The part is held at this quench temperature for a recommended time to transform the Austenite
into Bainite. The part is then removed from the salt quench and air cooled to room temperature.
Austempering is a Hardening process for metals it yields better mechanical properties including:
1. Higher Ductility
2. Resistance to Shock
3. Uniform Hardness erature.

Advantages of Austempering:

Less Distortion
Greater Ductility

Parts are platter friendly due to the clean surface from the salt quench

Uniform and consistent Hardness

Tougher and More Wear Resistant

Higher Impact and Fatigue Strengths

Resistance to Hydrogen Embrittlement

You should use the Austempering process if:

Material used: SAE 1045 to 1095, 4130, 4140, 5060, 5160, 6150
Material thickness between 0.30 to 8.00 mm

Hardness requirements needed in between HRC 38-52

Weight
Material type

:
:

3 grams to 125 grams

En 8, En 9, En19, En42J, C70

ABOUT BAINITE:
WHY IT IS NOT MENTIONED IN EQUILIBRIUM DIAGRAM
Equilibrium diagram, drawn from cooling curves, is with the assumption that the cooling
curves are plotted with the cooling very very slow.
When the cooling is very slow, as can be seen in the TTT diagram, the regions are in the
Pearlite- coarse and fine portions: the right top part of the TTT diagram. Only when the

cooling is medium [or faster than the pearlite formation rates] bainite- feathery and
acicular- forms.
Hence, bainite is not marked/mentioned in equilibrium diagram.