What is Heat Treating?
Heat treating is carried out through a process that modifies the microstructure of metals and alloys such as aluminum and steel. The purpose of this process is to add properties that enhance the capabilities and operational life of a particular part. Some benefits resulting from the treatment include increased temperature resistance, ductility, strength, and hardness. Tempering, case hardening, annealing, and normalizing are all types of heat treating services. Houston is served by companies that provide these services to various industries, including medical, construction, aviation, and automotive.
Various commonly applied heat treatment services include:
Hardening and Tempering
The hardening process includes a number of techniques to enhance strength, hardness, and the fatigue life of metal components.
Annealing Heat Treating Services
There are two stages in the process for annealing stainless steel. The initial stage involves the softening the metal as crystal defects that produce internal stresses in the metal are removed. The second stage involves the growth and nucleation of strain free grains.
Carburizing
Within a carbon-rich atmosphere, carburizing is a category of heat treatment services that involves the heating of metal parts with low carbon content. It is a case hardening process that facilitates the diffusion of carbon atoms into the part’s surface that requires the case hardening
Carbonitriding
As a somewhat different type of gas carburizing, carbonitriding is a process of surface case hardening that develops a thin, high hardness case. It enhances the wear resistance and surface hardness of metal parts.
Normalizing
As a high temperature heating cycle, normalizing occurs prior to cooling in agitated air. It is performed for a number of different reasons. A major reason is the removal of non-uniformities present at the microscopic level and the homogenization of the microstructure.
Nitriding
As a surface hardening process, nitriding sends nitrogen atoms into ferrous material surfaces at certain critical temperatures. A fatigue, hard, and wear resistant nitrided case is created beneath the surface when the base metal reacts with the nitrogen atoms. The combination of some critical temperatures, minimal distortion, and protective atmospheres make it an ideal choice for precision parts.