Heat-Treatment -Basics

G S Mahobia
 What is Heat-Treatment ?

• Materials treated by application of heat normally

done in solid state

• Various sources of heat

• Parameters are heating rate, soaking temp,

soaking time, cooling rate and cooling media
 Objective

• To produce desired microstructure

• To enhance mechanical properties / ease in
fabrication by changing
– Strength
– Toughness
– Hardness etc

Carried out in Fabrication Industries, Steel

Plants, Foundry, Forging Shops etc.
 Iron - Carbon Diagram

The Iron – Carbon Diagram

 Phase changes in Pure Iron

Melting

Fe
-
C
BC
Volume
change
a  -Fe

- Fe C
 F C
C C
B

910°C 1401°C 1539°C

Temperature
The Iron – Carbon Diagram
 Phases in Iron - Carbon Diagram

Alpha Ferrite : interstitial solid solution of C in alpha-Fe

[BCC in crystal structure]
Delta Ferrite : interstitial solid solution of C in delta –Fe
[BCC in crystal structure]
Cementite (Fe3C): an intermetallic compound of C and Fe
[Orthorhombic in crystal structure]
Pearlite : mechanical mixture of alpha-Fe and Fe 3C
Austenite : interstitial solid solution of C in gamma-Fe

[FCC in crystal structure]

[ Above phases are formed under equilibrium condition ]

 Critical Temperatures in Iron – Carbon Diagram

Ac0 (210°C)
• the curie temperature of cementitie, above
this temperature Fe3C, is non magnetic.
Ac1 (723°C)
• eutectoid temperature , also called lower
critical temperature
Ac2 (768°C)
• above this temperature alpha ferrite
becomes non magnetic
Ac3 / Acm
• known as upper critical temperature,
structure is completely austenite
‘’c’’ for chauffage means heating ,& ‘’r’’ for refroidissement means cooling
Plain Carbon Steel
 Types of Heat - Treatment

• Annealing
• Normalizing
• Hardening
• Tempering
• Stress relieving
- Heat treatments in heavy fabrication industry i.e.
- Post Weld Heat Treatment or Stress Relieving
- Local Stress Relieving
- Intermediate Stress Relieving
- Quenching
- Tempering
 Annealing

Temp.°C

Austenite
T = 50°C Soaking (1 hr / inch)
Ac3 /hr
, °C

Co
ol
a te

Furnace

in
g
,R

Ra
Cooling

te
ing

,
°C
at

/h
He

r
Time, (min.)
 Annealing

Objective –
• To soften the steel and improve ductility

• To relieve internal stresses caused by previous

treatment
Annealing
 Annealing

Full annealing :
[ above the Ac3 + 50°C for hypo eutectoid steels and the
Ac1 + 50°C in the case of hypereutectoid steels]
Spheroidizing annealing :
[ heating just belowAc1 or thermal cycling in a narrow
temperature interval around A1 ]
Recrystallization annealing or Process annealing :
[ temperature range 600-650°C ]
Stress relief annealing :
[ up to 600°C , soaked for long time, no phase change]
Annealing
Spheroidzing
 Normalizing

Temp.°C

Austenite
T = 50°C Soaking (1 hr / inch)
Ac3 /hr
, °C

Co
ol
a te

in
g
Air cooling
,R

Ra
te
ing

,
°C
at

/h
He

r
Time, (min.)
 Normalizing

Objective :
• To get Uniform structure
• To change Mechanical properties,
– UTS,YS
– Hardness
– Impact properties
• To refine the grains
Normalizing
Comparison between Annealing & Normalizing
Annealed & Normalized Microstructure
Annealed Normalized

Normalized structures are stronger because :

• Finer pearlite
• More pearlite
• Finer ferrite grain size
 Quenching

Objective: To produce Martensite

Austenite
Soaking (1 hr / inch)
Temp.°C

T = 50°C
Ac3
/hr
, °C
a te
,R

Water
ing

Cooling
at
He

Time, (min.)
Quenching
Martensite Transformation
Martensite Transformation
 Quenching

• Hypo eutectoid steels are heated above the Ac3

• Hyper eutectoid steels are heated above Ac1
Martensite

500X 2000X
 Types of Martensite

Lath Martensite :
- forms at low concentration of carbon and
alloying elements and at high temperatures

Plate Martensite :
- forms at higher concentration of carbon and
alloying elements and at lower transformation
temperatures
Quenching
Martensite
Typical Residual Stresses
Through Hardening

Surface Condition
Surface Center
Tension Compression
 Quench Cracks

500X 100X
Unetched Etched
 Hot Rolling & Quenching of VGO-Reactor Mock-up Shell

• Material : SA387 GR22 CL2[2.25Cr-1Mo Steel]

• Equipment Number : MV-RHZ361-R01

• Equipment Name : VGO UNIONFINNINGREACTOR

• Customer : Reliance, Jamnagar Refinery

• Shell thickness : 164mm

• Shell Diameter : 5409mm (ID)

• Shell Height : 1000mm

• Total Weight : 26.8MT [22.5MT(shell) +4.3MT(Fixture)]

Hot Rolling of VGO Mock-up shell
Hot Rolling Temperature:
Thk.-164mm
940-960°C for 3hrs.

Red Hot Plates in PFS Furnace

2.25Cr-1Mo Steel

Hot Rolling in PFS

2.25Cr-1Mo Steel
 Hot Rolled Micro Structure

Hot Rolling at
940° -960°C for 3hrs.

300X/2%Nital 300X/2%Nital

Non-uniformly Distributed Ferrite & Pearlite Grains

White : Ferrite
Black : Pearlite

300X/2%Nital 300X/2%Nital
 Furnace Door Opening

Fixture(4.3MT)

Red Hot Shell

HFS-I Furnace (300MT)

Soaking at 930°C - 950°C for 4hr 15mins..

Bogie out time:1min.-45sec.

 Shell fully submerged in to water

Temperature just before immersion : >800°C

Quench Delay Time achieved : 4min.- 08sec.[Target time : 6 min.]
 C-C-T Diagram for Cr-Mo steel
Required 80°C/min

Ac3 Temp. : 890°C

Ferrite+Pearlite

Thickness:174mm
Equivalent Bar Dia.:320mm Bainite
Martensite
 Bainite
• Isothermal transformation product
• Fine mixture of ferrite and epsilon carbide
• Forms at 500 and 220°C ( Eutectoid steel )
Types
• Upper bainite [40-50Rc]
• Lower bainite [50-55Rc]
 As Quenched Micro Structure

T/4 from OD T/2 [Center] T/4 from ID

2% Nital, 240X 2% Nital, 240X 2% Nital, 240X

Bainitic-Martenstic
Microstructure
 Tempering

Objective -
• To stabilize microstructure
• To improve mechanical properties
• To remove residual stresses
• To reduce brittleness of martensite
Tempering
Tempering Martensite
Effect of Tempering temperature on Hardness
 Quenched and Tempered Structure

600X,2%Nital
Tempered Martensite / Bainite
 Stress Relieving

The steel is heated to a temperature below or

close to the lower critical point, followed by
desired rate of cooling.

Stress relieving is done to achieve following :

• To reduce Internal Stresses

• To soften the steel partially

Internal Residual Stresses
 Code Requirements for PWHT
Material Normal Minimum holding time at normal temperature for nominal thickness
Holding Up to 2’’ Over 2’’ to 5’’ Over 5’’
Temperature
°C

P - No.1, P - No.3 595 1hr / in. 2 hr plus 15 min for each 2 hr plus 15 min for
[e.g.SA516GR60/70] 15 min minimum additional inch over 2’’ each additional inch
over 2’’
P - No.4 650 1hr / in. 1 hr / inch 5 hr plus 15 min for
[e.g.SA387GR11] 15 min minimum each additional inch
over 5’’
P - No.5A 675 1hr / in. 1 hr / inch 5 hr plus 15 min for
P - No.5B 15 min minimum each additional inch
P - No.5C over 5’’
[Group no.1 ]
[e.g.SA387GR22/
SA540Ty.D Cl.4a]
P - No.5B 705 1hr / in. 1 hr / inch 5 hr plus 15 min for
Group no.2 15 min minimum each additional inch
[e.g.SA387GR91] over 5’’
 Heat Treatment in Heavy Fabrication
Industry

Residual stresses generated during pressure vessel

fabrication ( welding, cutting, grinding, machining,
etc.)
• Heavy pressure vessels are particularly sensitive to
these problems due to the additional restraint
associated to high thickness.

• Post Weld Heat Treatment [ PWHT ]

- At the end of fabrication a PWHT is carried out to
define properly the service properties of the structure
 Intermediate Stress Relieving [ ISR ]

Purpose:
-To ensure partial removal of the residual stresses in

the weld

- Carried out without reducing preheat temperature

• Mid temperatures typically between 600-715°C

• Highly stressed joints [ all nozzle # shell/head welding and

weld build-up for support joints]

- Mandatory for 2.25Cr-1Mo steel and Cr – Mo - V steels,

 ISR Furnace:45345 [ESSAR OIL]
Modular Furnace for Cr-Mo-V Reactor
Height:8000mm
Width:8000mm Cr-Mo-V Steel Shell
Diameter:7000mm

Internal Firing (Baffles)

Burners
 Local Stress Relieving [ LSR ]
WHY ?

- Furnace SR not feasible

- Small sizes

HOW ?

- Electrical / Gas / diesel / Induction etc..

Details on ensuring PWHT temp. In weldment area

• Soaking band (SB) = Widest weld width ‘x’+ ’t’ or 2 inches

whichever is less from edge of weld

• Heating band width (HB)

SB + 4 rt where r = Inside radius, t = thickness

• Insulation band width (IB)

• HB + 4 rt
 Local Stress Relieving [ LSR ]

Soak band
Weld width ‘X’ + lesser of
1T or 2” on either side of
X the weld

Heating band
Inside radius

Insulation band
Intergranular Corrosion

(Cr,Fe)23C6
Solution Annealing (Stainless Steel)

 Solution annealing :
• Heating to 1050°C
• hold for the desired time
• followed by quenching
(cooling to room temperature within few minutes).
 Solution annealing :
• To soften the material
• To remove carbide precipitation formed at grain
boundaries during manufacturing process
• To improve Corrosion Resistance
 Use of stabilized grades:
• Addition of Ti, Nb [ 304L ]
 The Effects of HeatTreatment

• Hollomon Parameter (HP):

- also known as Hollomon-Jaffe or Larsen Miller parameter

- heating rate, cooling rate, holding time & holding temperature

- applicable for tempering and stress relief treatments

- not applicable for heat treatments performed in austenitic range

- HP-stronger the metallurgical effects

The Effects of HeatTreatment
 The Effects of HeatTreatment

Tempering PWHT HP
700°C/300 - 20.15
700°C/250 670°C/180 20.15

680°C/250 680°C/600 20.15

680°C/60 690°C/300+700°C/ 20.15

90
680°C/60 675°C/600+680°C/ 20.15
300
Different heat treatments with the same HP have the same metallurgical effect
‘Heat Treatment is an irreversible
Process so please take proper care
during Heat Treatment’