After
hardening, all steels show reduced plastic properties and unfavourable
stresses.
A heat
treatment procedure is carried out in order to eliminate them. It involves heating
the previously hardened material, heating and cooling it in order to obtain the
optimal structure and properties.
We offer
low, medium and high tempering in the temperature range of 180-650°C. It is
possible to carry out the processes in the presence of shielding gas.
It involves
heating the previously supersaturated alloy to a temperature below the limit of
solubility, heating at this temperature and cooling it down. During the aging
process, the excess component in the supersaturated solid solution is released
in the form of highly dispersed phases.
In some
cases, the aging involves intermediate phases and Guinier-Preston zones, in
which they segregate atoms dissolved in the solvent lattice.
Aging
causes strengthening, shown by an increase in strength properties and a
decrease in plastic properties.
The aging
effect occurs when the temperature is too high. It consists of coagulation of
the precipitates and the loss of their coherence, which does not increase the
hardness in relation to the supersaturated state, but on the contrary - reduces
it.
A method of
heat treatment of the material, which usually involves heating the steel to a
specific temperature, heating it at this temperature and cooling it in order to
obtain structures close to the equilibrium state.
We
distinguish between recrystallization annealing, homogenization, stress relief,
complete, isothermal and spheroidizing annealing.
We carry
out orders from a wide range of services in the field of annealing.