Mechanical engineering

IFE, S1 – 1st semester

MATERIALS SCIENCE - LABORATORY

Lab no. 4
Title: Heat Treatment Hardenability Test

Date of lab: 06/12/2024

No. SURNAME Name Album No. Lab group

1. GREEN Alexander 257760 ME1
2. DYLAK Malwina 257137 ME1
3. KOBIERZYCKI Jakub 257141 ME1
4.
INTRODUCTION

Heat treatment is a critical process in materials science, utilized to alter

the physical and mechanical properties of materials to meet specific
application requirements. One common objective of heat treatment is
to increase the hardness of metals, which can improve wear resistance
and mechanical performance in demanding environments. The
hardening process involves heating a material to a specified
temperature, followed by rapid cooling or quenching. This process
induces phase transformations and microstructural changes that
significantly affect the material's properties.

Heat treatment is conducted using a 3-stage process.

1. Material is gradually heated up, softening, to be moulded into
desired shape.
Also allows for uniform temperature throughout the materials
structure.
2. Drenching (Holding) the material at temperature for a given
timeframe.
Soaking internal structure changes take place.
3. Cooling the metal to room temperature by means of various methods.
 Annealing: To soften the metal and relieve internal stresses.
 Normalizing: To refine the grain structure and improve
mechanical properties.
 Quenching: Preparing the material for rapid cooling by
homogenizing the temperature.

Structure of the materials is also a crucial component when it comes to heat treatment.
As different materials give different results in the nature of their structure and their
purpose of application. Common structures include:

- Ferrite used for its soft, ductile and magnetic properties, ferrite is almost pure iron
and contains very little carbon (~0.02%). It is seen in the application of modern
technology devices e.g. televisions, radios, hybrid electric vehicles.
Due to its properties, it cannot be hardened by rapid cooling.

- Cementite (Fe3C) used for contributing to the hardness of steel. It is a hard but
brittle ceramic compound

- Pearlite a mixture of Ferrite & Cementite. Forming from austenite, his material
contains ~0.88% carbon, forming alternating light and dark bands. It is stronger
than ferrite but less hard than pure cementite. It is seen in application of cryogens,
various material insulations & cements.

- “Hypoeutectoid” steel containing less than 0.88% carbon, it is a key contributor to

the strength of steels. A higher carbon content (~0.6%) will see a formation mixture
 of pearlite which also adds to the strengthening of the steel. Will crystalise into
pearlite upon cooling.

These materials can work together to create the needs of our desired strengths and
applications. Engineers need to understand their project or application to determine
a material/s that will work best for their requirements. Specifics include mechanical,
thermal, chemical properties. As well as factoring the cost and environmental
considerations. Some materials can be used as substitute depending on the outcome
goals of the application.

In this experiment, heat treatment was employed to study the effect of

varying temperatures on the hardness of a metal. The specimens were
heated to different temperatures and quenched in a cold-water solution
to achieve rapid cooling. The Rockwell Hardness Test, using the HRC
(Hardness Rockwell scale), was conducted on a manual hardness
testing machine to measure the hardness of the treated materials. By
analysing the HRC values, insights were gained into the relationship
between heat treatment conditions and the resulting material
properties.

The Hardness scale can be determined by the equation. HRC = (0.2-e)

500 where e is the representation of permanent depth e measured in
mm.
The specific machine used to conduct the test, works by a three-step
process. Step one applies an initial force onto the metal of 10kp. Step
two applies a further 140kp, overall, the force combined is 150kp which
helps to dictate the hardness of the object. Step three removes the
major force of 140kp and is the depth of indentation is measured e.

THE FORMING PROCESS

The forming process is about testing how well a material can deform
under stress without cracking, especially after it has been heat-treated,
such as through quenching or tempering. It involves applying force,
such as bending or stretching, to assess toughness, ductility, and
whether the hardness is consistent across the material. Hardness is
usually measured using either the Rockwell or Vickers test. Quenching
makes the material very hard but brittle, while tempering reduces
hardness slightly to improve toughness and make it more workable.
Balancing hardness and ductility is essential to ensure the material
performs as required.
 EXPERIMENTAL

1. Sample Preparation

 Steel samples were prepared with uniform dimensions to ensure

consistency during heat treatment and testing.
 The samples were heated to 860°C, the austenitization temperature,
and held at this temperature for a sufficient time to ensure uniform
heating throughout the material.

2. Heat Treatment

 Quenching:
o After heating, the samples were rapidly cooled in water. This
rapid cooling process was designed to transform the steel's
structure into martensite, resulting in high hardness.
 Tempering:
o The quenched samples were reheated to specific tempering
temperatures: 200°C, 500°C, and 600°C.
o They were held at these temperatures for a set duration to
relieve internal stresses and adjust their mechanical
properties, such as reducing brittleness and improving
ductility.
3. Forming Test

 Following heat treatment, the samples were subjected to mechanical

deformation to assess their ductility and ability to withstand stress
without cracking.
 This included bending and stretching the samples to observe their
behavior under stress.

4. Hardness Measurement

 The hardness of each heat-treated sample was measured using the

Rockwell hardness test to evaluate the effects of quenching and
tempering on the material.
 Measurements were taken across various points of each sample to
ensure uniformity in hardness distribution.

5. Data Analysis

 The observed hardness values and forming test results were

compared to determine the relationship between heat treatment
processes and the material's mechanical properties, such as
hardness, toughness, and ductility.

HEAT TREATMENT HARDNESS (ROCKWELL)

Quenched in water 54/56
Temperred at 200°C 55/54/52
 Temperred at 500°C 37/36/34
Temperred at 600°C 32/31/33

CALCULATIONS

1. Cooling Rate (Quenching): For the given steel:

Application:

o Initial temperature (Ti) = 860°C,

o Final temperature (Tf) = 25°C (room temperature),
o Quenching time (Δt) = 15 seconds,

2. Hardness Correlation: Hardness decreases as tempering

temperature increases due to phase transformations:
o 200°C: Retains high hardness due to tempered martensite.
o 500°C: Transition from martensite to ferrite and cementite,
reducing hardness.
o 600°C: Formation of more ductile ferritic structure,
significantly lowering hardness.
3. Ductility vs. Hardness Trend: Using the forming test observations
and hardness data:
o Quenched sample: High hardness but brittle, limited
deformation.
o Tempered at 600°C: Low hardness, high ductility, substantial
deformation before failure.

Tempered at 500°C @ 500x magnification Tempered at 600°C @ 500x magnification

 Quenched steel @ 500x magnification

CONCLUSIONS & REMARKS

The experiment demonstrated the significant impact of heat treatment
on the mechanical properties and microstructure of steel, as observed
through 500x magnified images. Quenching resulted in a martensitic
structure with high hardness (up to Rockwell 56), but it came at the
cost of brittleness and poor ductility. This trade-off highlights the
limitations of quenched steel for applications requiring toughness or
deformation. Tempering, performed at 500°C and 600°C, progressively
reduced hardness while improving toughness and forming ability. At
500°C, tempered martensite and carbide precipitation provided a
balance of strength and flexibility, while at 600°C, the structure
transitioned to a ferritic matrix with distributed carbides, significantly
improving ductility and toughness.

These results underline the importance of optimizing heat treatment

parameters to achieve the desired balance between hardness and
ductility for specific applications. Quenching and tempering not only
transformed the microstructure but also tailored the material properties
to meet engineering requirements. The findings emphasize that proper
heat treatment is critical for ensuring steel's performance in industrial
and structural applications.
Quenching and Brittleness:

 The high hardness observed in the quenched samples demonstrated

the effectiveness of rapid cooling in forming martensite. However,
the brittleness associated with this process limits the material's use
in applications requiring deformation.

Tempering and Property Optimization:

 Tempering successfully reduced brittleness while maintaining

sufficient hardness. Tempering at 500°C achieved an optimal
balance for applications needing both toughness and wear
resistance.

Hardenability Insights:

 The hardness gradient observed along the distance from the

quenched end provided valuable insight into the material's
hardenability, reaffirming that cooling rate and sample geometry
play key roles.

Recommendations for Application:

 For structural applications requiring toughness, tempering at higher

temperatures (e.g., 600°C) is ideal.
 For wear-resistant components, lower tempering temperatures (e.g.,
200°C) are preferred, despite the reduced ductility.

REFERENCES

HRC TEST VIDEO

Cementite – Knowledge and References - Taylor & Francis

taylorandfrancis.com https://taylorandfrancis.com › Chemical_engineering

Pearlite - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics ScienceDirect.com

https://www.sciencedirect.com › topics › engineering › p...

Directory of Perlite Uses and Applications Hess Perlite

https://hessperlite.com › uses-for-perlite

What is Hypoeutectoid Steel? Properties and Uses - MFG Shop MachineMfg

https://shop.machinemfg.com › Blog › Uncategorized
https://www.geminidsn.com/post/materials-selection-in-engineering-design

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/physics-and-astronomy/forming-
technique