Experiment # 1
Effect of Cooling Rates on Steel Microstructure and Hardness
Objective:
To examine the impact of varying cooling rates on the microstructure and hardness of steel.
Introduction:
Steel is heated to a specific temperature, typically called austenitization tempertaure, held for a
defined period, and then cooled. The choice of cooling method determines the cooling rate,
which influences the material's microstructure and hardness. Annealing involves heating steel to
the austenitization temperature, holding it, and then cooling it slowly in a furnace. Normalizing
also heats steel to the austenitization temperature, but the cooling is done in air at room
temperature. Forced air cooling utilizes a controlled flow of air to cool the steel more rapidly
than natural/still air cooling but slower than quenching.
Equipment and Materials:
Steel samples, furnace for austenitization of steel samples, and cooling media (furnace,
still air, forced air).
Hardness tester, metallurgical microscope, polishing/etching tools.
Methodology:
1. Heat steel samples to the appropriate austenitization temperature and hold for 30 minutes.
2. Cool samples using:
o Furnace cooling: Slow cooling rate in turned-off furnace.
o Still air cooling: Moderate cooling rate via normalizing.
o Forced air cooling: Fast rate cooling.
3. Test hardness using Brinell/Rockwell/Vickers tester.
4. Prepare samples for microstructure analysis: grind, polish, etch, and examine under a
microscope.
o Assess trends with varying fiber content.
Observations and results:
1. Perform microstructural analysis of the pristine steel specimen and the cooled samples via
different methods at magnifications of 100x, 200x, and 400x.
2. Label all observed phases and provide detailed descriptions of the micrographs.
3. Examine and document the phase changes resulting from the different cooling methods.
4. Record and tabulate the hardness values for all four samples using the format provided
below.
5. Compare the results of the cooled steel samples with each other and with the pristine steel
sample.
Hardness Value Heat Hardness Value After
Samples
Treatment Heat Treatment
Sample 1 N/A
(w/o heat
treatment)
Sample 2
(Furnace
cooled)
Sample 3
(Air-cooled)
Sample 4
(Force air
cooled)
Expected Outcome:
Cooling rate should significantly affect steel’s microstructure and hardness, influencing its
mechanical properties.
Guidelines for report writing:
Adhere to standard report-writing guidelines, incorporating references from research papers and
textbooks in the introduction, theory, and discussion sections. Present results clearly using tables,
graphs, and labeled microstructure images. Analyze and compare the cooling methods, linking
findings to theoretical principles and practical applications. Summarize the results and confirm
whether the objectives were achieved, while comparing the cooled steel samples to the pristine
steel sample. Include a discussion on the history of the steel samples. If anomalies or issues were
encountered, identify potential causes and propose solutions with explanations supported by
insights from textbooks and relevant literature.
Experiment # 2
Effect of Cooling Rates on Steel Microstructure and Hardness
Objective:
To determine the appropriate austenitizing temperature for a given steel sample by analyzing its
microstructure and hardness after heat treatment.
Introduction:
Austenitizing is the process of heating steel above its critical temperature (~Ac₃ for
hypoeutectoid and ~Ac₁ for hypereutectoid steels) to form a homogeneous austenitic phase.
Heating of steel to a temperature at which the structure transforms to austenite, usually
performed as the essentially preliminary step of heat treatment, in order to get homogenous
structure. The recommended austenitizing temperature for hypoeutectoid steels is about 20 –
30oC above the upper-critical-temperature. This temperature is same for both annealing and
hardening. Therefore care should always be taken while selecting the austenitizing temperature.
Proper austenitizing temperature ensures complete transformation, avoiding grain coarsening or
incomplete phase change. At any temperature below upper-critical-temperature, there will be
proeutectoid ferrite present, which will remain after quenching giving rise to soft spots and lower
hardness and if the steel is present at any temperature below lower-critical-temperature, then
there will be no austenite present and after quenching, no change in the hardness of steel will
occur.
Equipment and Materials:
Three plain carbon steel samples, furnace for austenitization of steel samples, tongs, and
cooling media (water or oil).
Hardness tester, metallurgical microscope, polishing/etching tools.
Methodology:
1. Sample preparation:
Take three samples of plain carbon steel (e.g., 1040) with equal dimensions.
Grind the surface of all specimens to remove any oxidation and ensure uniformity.
Measure the initial Brinell Hardness (BHN) of each specimen.
2. Heat treatment process
a. First Specimen (Below Lower-Critical Temperature)
o Switch on the muffle furnace and set the temperature to 600–650°C (below the lower-
critical temperature).
o Place the first specimen in the furnace.
o Once the desired temperature is reached, hold the specimen for 20–30 minutes to allow
heat soaking.
o Remove the specimen using tongs and quench it immediately in water.
b. Second Specimen (Between Lower and Upper-Critical Temperature)
o Adjust the furnace temperature to 750–780°C (above the lower-critical but below the
upper-critical temperature).
o Place the second specimen in the furnace.
o Once the required temperature is reached, hold the specimen for 20–30 minutes.
o Remove the specimen with tongs and quench it in water.
c. Third Specimen (Above Upper-Critical Temperature)
o Set the furnace temperature to 860–870°C (30–40°C above the upper-critical
temperature).
o Place the third specimen in the furnace.
o Once the desired temperature is achieved, hold the specimen for 20–30 minutes.
o Remove the specimen using tongs and immediately quench it in water.
3. Post-treatment Analysis
o After cooling, grind the surfaces of all specimens to remove oxidation.
o Measure the Brinell Hardness (BHN) of each specimen again.
o Compare the hardness values to analyze the effect of different austenitizing temperatures.
o Polish all specimens using standard metallographic procedures.
o Observe and analyze the microstructure of each specimen under an optical microscope.
Observations and results:
1. Record and tabulate the microstructures and hardness values for different austenitizing
temperatures.
2. Determine the temperature that results in a martensitic structure with the highest
hardness.
3. Perform microstructural analysis of all three specimens at 100x, 200x, and 400x
magnifications.
4. Label the observed phases in the micrographs and provide a detailed description of each.
5. Present the hardness values in a structured table as shown below.
Brinell Hardness Brinell Hardness
Samples
Value Before Heat Value After Heat
Sample 1
Sample 2
Sample 3
Sample1 = Quenched from a temperature below lower-critical-temperature (600 –
650oC).
Sample2 = Quenched from a temperature above lower-critical-temperature but below
upper-critical-temperature (750 – 780oC).
Sample3 = Quenched from a temperature above upper-critical-temperature (860 –
870oC).
Expected Outcome:
The experiment will confirm that proper austenitizing temperature is critical for achieving the
desired microstructure and mechanical properties. It will demonstrate how increasing the
austenitizing temperature leads to greater hardness due to full phase transformation and rapid
quenching.
Guidelines for report writing:
Adhere to standard report-writing guidelines, incorporating references from research papers and
textbooks in the introduction, theory, and discussion sections. Present results clearly using tables,
graphs, and labeled microstructure images. Analyze and compare the effects of different
austenitizing temperatures, linking the findings to theoretical principles and practical
applications, such as their effects on hardness and martensitic structure. Explain how
microstructure affects hardness. Relate findings to industrial heat treatment applications.
Summarize the results and confirm whether the objectives were achieved, while comparing the
three austenitized and quenched steel samples. If anomalies or issues were encountered, identify
potential causes and propose solutions with explanations supported by insights from textbooks
and relevant literature.