What is Normalizing?

Normalizing is a heat treatment process that is used to make a metal more ductile and tough after it has been subjected to thermal or mechanical hardening processes. Normalizing involves heating a material to an elevated temperature and then allowing it to cool back to room temperature by exposing it to room temperature air after it is heated. This heating and slow cooling alters the microstructure of the metal which in turn reduces its hardness and increases its ductility.

What is the purpose of Normalizing?
Normalizing aims to give the steel a uniform and fine-grained structure. The process is used to obtain a predictable microstructure and an assurance of the steel's mechanical properties.

The Differences between Normalizing and Annealing

    NORMALIZING

  • Heat above recrystallization temperature
  • Ductile parts
  • Slow cooling in room temperature
  • Faster cooling rate than annealing

VS.

    ANNEALING

  • Heat above recrystallization temperature
  • Ductile parts
  • Slow cooling in controlled furnace
  • Slow cooling rate than normalizing

Why is Normalizing important?

Normalizing is used because it causes microstructures to reform into more ductile structures. This is important because it makes the metal more formable, more machinable, and reduces residual stresses in the material that could lead to unexpected failure.

Back