Annealing refers to the process where metals are heated to certain high temperatures. This process has a wide variety of uses in the industrial field. With an annealing furnace, you can easily complete the process whenever needed.
What is Annealing?
After a metal is heated as part of the annealing process, it remains at a high temperature for several hours to several days. The heating allows particles inside the metal to move freely; the magic temperature for accomplishing this in steels, in particular, is 723 degrees Centigrade.
After being heated, the metal being annealed is permitted to cool. This cooling process has to occur slowly in ferrous metals, such as steels, in order for the entire annealing process to be done correctly. If the cooling stage does not happen slowly enough, the molecules inside the metals won’t be diffused adequately.
Metals are typically annealed at temperatures that are a little above those at which recrystallization takes place. Conditions in a furnace used for annealing are controlled tightly to make sure all expected changes actually take place.
Environment
The environment where a material is being annealed is vital. Steels can easily be annealed in an environment that is carbon rich in order to facilitate the process of carburization. Carburization has many advantages; however, if you need to avoid carburization as well as other defects, such as oxidation, you should ensure the annealing process is completed in an environment that does not feature carbon.
Uses
The annealing process is done for several reasons. First, annealing has the ability to increase ductility as well as alleviate the types of internal stresses known for contributing to brittleness. Annealing can additionally increase metals’ homogeneity and toughness. Metals can also be annealed in order to get them ready for additional heat treatment; the purpose of this is to restore their ductility before further work is done with them.
Advantages
One of the biggest benefits of an annealing furnace is that it helps soften steel. It also helps improve and enhance steel’s machinability. The right company can help you choose an annealing furnace that will best meet your unique needs when working with metals.
