Annealing is a heat treatment process in which a material is heated to an elevated temperature and held for a set amount of time and then cooled at a controlled rate. The high temperature cycle (soaking time) is long enough to allow the desired transformation to occur. Cooling is done slowly to avoid warping/cracking due to the thermal gradients and thermoelastic stresses within the metal piece.
ANNEALING
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Annealing
Definition
How does Annealing work?
The 3 stages of the annealing process that proceed as the temperature of the material is increased are: recovery, recrystallization, and grain growth.
Recovery results in the softening of the metal through the removal of primarily linear defects called dislocations and the internal stresses they cause. Recovery occurs at the lower temperature stage of all annealing processes and before the appearance of new strain-free grains. The grain size and shape do not change.
The second stage is recrystallization, where new strain-free grains nucleate and grow to replace those deformed by internal stresses.If annealing is allowed to continue once recrystallization has completed, then grain growth (third stage) occurs. In grain growth, the microstructure starts to coarsen and may cause the metal to lose a substantial part of its original strength. This can however be regained with hardening.
Advantages
Custom designed furnaces
Low maintenance refractory systems
State-of-the-art combustion systems
Direct or indirect fired systems
Integration of SCADA
Flexible modular or continuous heat treat systems
Integrated loading and unloading
Controlled cooling
