Understanding Metal Heat Treatment: Definition, Purpose, Benefits & Drawbacks

Heat treatment is the first consideration to be made when trying to change the properties. This is a mechanical process that involves heating metal at a specific temperature with a standard cooling method to obtain the desired properties. Today you’ll get to know the definition, purpose, classification, and advantages and disadvantages of heat treatment of metals.

Heat Treatment of metals definition:

First of all, you need to know what heat treatment is. Many sources have given their definition which is not satisfied with because most of their definition contains just heating and cooling of metals, that is quite correct but it is incomplete. So the question is what is the heat treatment?

Heat treatment is metalworking processes that involve changing the physical and sometimes chemical properties of a material. It can also be said to be a way in which physical or mechanical properties of a metal are changed by heat and cooling methods without changing the shape of the working metal.

Now you can see the purpose of heat treating is to increase or reduce the structural and physical properties of metal to serve a particular purpose or for the further working of the metal. This process is achieved by heating metal and the way it is been subjected to cooling. There are three stages of heat treatment which include heating, soaking, and cooling. These three stages will be further explained as they take part in all the basic heat treatment processes.

Purpose of heat treatment of metals

Below is the various purpose of heat treatment of metals:

• To improve ductility and toughness
• Increase wear and corrosion resistance of a metal.
• Improve electrical and mechanical properties.
• Homogenize the structure to remove coring.
• Spheroidize tiny particles.
• Improve machinability and toughness.
• Grain size refinement.
• Relieving internal stresses.

Watch the video below to learn the working of heat treatment of metals:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkIm-NoUigA

Advantages and disadvantages of heat treatment of metals:

Heat treatment has many advantages, otherwise, the establishment of different processes won’t have occurred. Heat treatment helps to get desired mechanical and chemical properties, to reduce stresses, prevent stress relief and distortion when put to service. Whilst the disadvantages include distortion, surface oxidation or other contamination, added cost, etc.

That is all for this article, where the definition, purpose, classifications, advantages, and disadvantages of heat treatment of metals are explained. I hope you get a lot from the post, if so, kindly share with other students. Thanks for reading, see you next time!