Some heat treatments, such as induction hardening, change the treated materials physically and mechanically. But what are the properties of hardened steel?
Steel is an iron alloy with a certain amount of carbon (no more than 2.06%) and other elements: its composition determines its properties and main uses. However, some heat treatments such as induction hardening change the qualities of steel (with sufficient carbon content) and produce a different material.
Precision engineering experts use this treatment when they want to change a material or make it more resistant to wear, mechanical stress and tension.
How induction hardening works
When is steel hardened? Steel that has undergone induction hardening is better suited to applications where it will be subject to mechanical stress, tension and wear. How does induction hardening work? The treatment involves heating the alloy to a certain temperature range, holding the temperature and then cooling it abruptly.
Hardened steel acquires new physical and mechanical properties thanks to the speed at which it is cooled. What differentiates the technical properties of hardened steel is knowledge of the hardenability of steels, or rather the cooling rate needed to achieve a given property.
What are the properties of hardened steel?
Induction hardening changes the qualities of steel: but what exactly is hardened steel and what are its properties?
The process stops the carbon diffusion needed for thermodynamic stabilisation and keeps a large number of carbon atoms in the structure, making the steel harder and stronger in tension.
Hardened steel is a “2.0” steel, suited to cutting and to machining products that will be subject to constant mechanical stress.
On the other hand, the impact toughness of hardened steel decreases, although it remains high compared with the material’s starting value.