Heat treatment of stainless steel

Relevance

The heat treatment of stainless steel involves heating, holding and cooling operations. These operations have a definite effect on the structure of the steel. The chemical composition of the material remains unchanged, but the properties of the steel can change over a wide range. Heat treatment can be used to strengthen or de-strengthen alloys. It may be necessary to reduce the strength of steel when workpieces must undergo some type of treatment, such as cutting. Increasing the strength is necessary to achieve the properties required for certain applications. The heat treatment of stainless steel is performed under different regimes, where the heating time and temperature level, the rate of heating and cooling, and the holding time in the heated state vary. These processes have been practiced for centuries,

Heating

Heating can be thermal, chemical-thermal or thermomechanical. It must ensure uniform heating of the billet, in which the desired transformation occurs in the structure of the material, but does not cause deformation or cracking. It is necessary to use the resource of the furnace as much as possible. For this purpose, heating can be carried out directly, gradually or in steps. When selecting the heating mode, the type of stainless steel, the weight of the workpiece and the type of subsequent processing are taken into account. The heating time largely depends on the method (furnace heating, flame or high-frequency electric heating), on the total weight of the metal and the grade physical properties of stainless steel (heat capacity, thermal conductivity). The rate of heating depends on the type of billet, the chemical composition of the steel and the temperature range.

Stamina

Exposure of the billet is necessary so that at the achieved temperature the structural transformations are fully completed. If the optimum time is not calculated correctly, the steel may begin to free from carbon, which can lead to scale formation. High heating temperatures require minimal dwell time.

Cooling

The rate at which the billet cools depends on the environment that surrounds it. Cooling in water reaches a rate of 300 degrees per second, cooling in a furnace is 20-30 degrees per hour. In the open air, the cooling process is naturally faster than in the furnace.

To buy. Price

Evek GmbH sells rolled metal products of standard and custom sizes at the best price. It depends on the technological features of production without including additional costs. The company always has a wide range of stainless steel products in stock, which provides: 1) high efficiency of delivery in the CIS countries; 2) cost savings for customers on the maintenance of warehouses; 3)wide visual choice of products. Quality is guaranteed by strict compliance with the technological norms of production. The lead time is minimal. The price depends on the order quantities and additional terms of delivery. With wholesale orders there is a system of discounts.