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    • Heat treatment
      • Case hardening with subsequent hardening operation
        • Atmospheric carburising
        • Low pressure carburising (LPC)
        • Boriding
        • Carbonitriding
      • Case hardening without subsequent hardening operation
        • Corr-I-Dur®
        • Plasma nitriding/Ion nitriding
        • Nitrocarburising
        • Gas nitriding
        • Ferritic nitrocarburising
        • Fluidised bed/salt bath nitriding/nitrocarburising
      • Hardening and tempering
        • Neutral hardening
        • Ausbay quenching
        • Austempering
        • Martempering/Marquenching
        • Press quenching
        • Induction hardening
        • Double hardening
        • Tempering
      • Solution and age
        • Solution and age: Aluminium alloys
        • Solution and age: Nickel alloys
        • Precipitation hardening: Stainless steels
      • Specialty Stainless Steel Processes (S3P)
      • Annealing / Normalising
        • Annealing
        • Recrystallisation
        • Normalising
        • Sub-critical annealing / intercritical annealing
        • Soft annealing
      • Ion implantation
      • Stress relieving
    • Metal joining
      • Furnace/vacuum brazing
      • Induction brazing
      • Electron beam welding
      • HIP diffusion bonding
      • Hydrogen brazing
    • Surface technology
      • Plasma spray
      • High Velocity Oxygen Fuel (HVOF) coating
      • Combustion spraying
      • Vapor phase aluminide (VPA)
      • K-Tech
      • Liquid coatings
      • Anodising
      • Electric arc wire
      • Ceramic coatings
      • Flame spraying
    • Hot isostatic pressing
      • Powdermet® technologies
        • Powdermet® hybrid* with 3D printing
        • Powdermet® 3D printing
        • Powdermet® – Near net shape (NNS)
        • Powdermet® Selective surface net shape (SSNS)
      • Isostatic pressing services
        • Casting densification
        • HIP cladding
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    • Sustainable impact
      • Low to no emissions
      • Sustainable end-markets
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      • Resource efficient
    • Responsible business
      • Zero harm
      • Environmental leadership
      • Engaged team
      • Diverse workplace
    • Reporting centre
      • Sustainability reporting
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      • Our policies
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Annealing

Bodycote Heat Treatment > Services > Heat treatment > Annealing/Normalising > Annealing
  • Services
    • Heat treatment
      • Case hardening with subsequent hardening operation
        • Atmospheric carburising
        • Low pressure carburising (LPC)
        • Boriding
        • Carbonitriding
      • Case hardening without subsequent hardening operation
        • Corr-I-Dur®
        • Plasma nitriding/Ion nitriding
        • Nitrocarburising
        • Gas nitriding
        • Ferritic nitrocarburising
        • Fluidised bed/salt bath nitriding/nitrocarburising
      • Hardening and tempering
        • Neutral hardening
        • Ausbay quenching
        • Austempering
        • Martempering/Marquenching
        • Press quenching
        • Induction hardening
        • Double hardening
        • Tempering
      • Solution and age
        • Solution and age: Aluminium alloys
        • Solution and age: Nickel alloys
        • Precipitation hardening: Stainless steels
      • Specialty Stainless Steel Processes (S3P)
      • Annealing / Normalising
        • Annealing
        • Recrystallisation
        • Normalising
        • Sub-critical annealing / intercritical annealing
        • Soft annealing
      • Ion implantation
      • Stress relieving
    • Metal joining
      • Furnace/vacuum brazing
      • Induction brazing
      • Electron beam welding
      • HIP diffusion bonding
      • Hydrogen brazing
    • Surface technology
      • Plasma spray
      • High Velocity Oxygen Fuel (HVOF) coating
      • Combustion spraying
      • Vapor phase aluminide (VPA)
      • K-Tech
      • Liquid coatings
      • Anodising
      • Electric arc wire
      • Ceramic coatings
      • Flame spraying
    • Hot isostatic pressing
      • Powdermet® technologies
        • Powdermet® hybrid* with 3D printing
        • Powdermet® 3D printing
        • Powdermet® – Near net shape (NNS)
        • Powdermet® Selective surface net shape (SSNS)
      • Isostatic pressing services
        • Hot isostatic pressing
        • Casting densification
        • HIP cladding
        • HIP brazing
        • Simple shape
      • HIP supporting services
        • Laboratory services for HIP
        • Simulation and analysis

Annealing

Annealing is a heat treatment process which alters the microstructure of a material to change its mechanical or electrical properties. Typically, in steels, annealing is used to reduce hardness, increase ductility and help eliminate internal stresses.

Benefits of annealing

Annealing will restore ductility following cold working and hence allow additional processing without cracking. Annealing may also be used to release mechanical stresses induced by grinding, machining etc. hence preventing distortion during subsequent higher temperature heat treatment operations. In some cases, annealing is used to improve electrical properties.

Application & materials

One of the main applications of annealing is reversing the effects of work hardening. During cold forming, drawing, bending etc. the material can become hardened to the point where further working can be impossible or result in cracking. An annealing operation at this stage will make the material more ductile, permitting further forming. In a similar manner, annealing is utilized to remove the internal stresses which occur when welds solidify.

Besides steels, other metals may also benefit from annealing such as copper, aluminium, and brass.

Annealing process details

Annealing is a generic term and can be further classified according to temperature and atmosphere.

For steels, subcritical annealing takes place at 538°C – 649°C / 1000°F – 1200°F, so there is no crystal structure change. Intermediate annealing is carried out at 649°C – 760°C / 1200°F – 1400°F, so there is some transformation to austenite and full annealing involves completely austenitizing the work at 816°C – 927°C / 1500°F – 1700°F.

Parts can be annealed in a vacuum or reducing atmosphere where a bright surface finish is needed. Annealing in air is employed where surface finish is not an important factor and an endothermic/neutral atmosphere may be used during annealing to control decarburisation.

Related Services
Casting densification
Contact us for a quote.

Annealing

Annealing is a heat treatment process which alters the microstructure of a material to change its mechanical or electrical properties. Typically, in steels, annealing is used to reduce hardness, increase ductility and help eliminate internal stresses.

Benefits of annealing

Annealing will restore ductility following cold working and hence allow additional processing without cracking. Annealing may also be used to release mechanical stresses induced by grinding, machining etc. hence preventing distortion during subsequent higher temperature heat treatment operations. In some cases, annealing is used to improve electrical properties.

Application & materials

One of the main applications of annealing is reversing the effects of work hardening. During cold forming, drawing, bending etc. the material can become hardened to the point where further working can be impossible or result in cracking. An annealing operation at this stage will make the material more ductile, permitting further forming. In a similar manner, annealing is utilized to remove the internal stresses which occur when welds solidify.

Besides steels, other metals may also benefit from annealing such as copper, aluminium, and brass.

Annealing process details

Annealing is a generic term and can be further classified according to temperature and atmosphere.

For steels, subcritical annealing takes place at 538°C – 649°C / 1000°F – 1200°F, so there is no crystal structure change. Intermediate annealing is carried out at 649°C – 760°C / 1200°F – 1400°F, so there is some transformation to austenite and full annealing involves completely austenitizing the work at 816°C – 927°C / 1500°F – 1700°F.

Parts can be annealed in a vacuum or reducing atmosphere where a bright surface finish is needed. Annealing in air is employed where surface finish is not an important factor and an endothermic/neutral atmosphere may be used during annealing to control decarburisation.

Related Services
Casting densification
Contact us for a quote.
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