tempering
Tempering is a heat treatment that can improve the toughness of hardened steel temporarily. Tempering involves a process whereby the steel is reheated below a certain temperature and cooled uniformly. The basic idea behind tempering is to reduce the brittleness of steel without sacrificing strength, thus increasing the toughness and fracture resistance of the material.
Key Points:
- Advanced Heating Control: The steel will always be heated to a temperature below the critical point—generally from 150°C to 700°C—depending on the properties required.
- Effects on the Material Properties: They undergo a reduction of brittleness due to the previous hardening process. There is an improvement in the toughness and ductility of the material to resist cracking. The higher the tempering temperature, the lower the hardness of the steel.
- Wide Applications: Commonly used in the making of tools, components for the automotive, construction, and aerospace industries, where strength and toughness of materials are essential.
The relevance of tempering lies in establishing a trade-off between hardness and toughness of steel in demanding applications. During industrial manufacturing, tempering helps steel components to withstand mechanical stress without fracturing. Innovations in precision heat treatment continue to advance the tempering procedure in an effort to further enhance material performance and durability.
