Experimental Research on 180℃ Low Temperature Tempering in Open Flame Heat Treatment Furnace

Low temperature tempering of180℃ in an open flame heat treatment furnace has recently been gaining increasing attention in various industries. This is due to the unique properties that it produces in metal materials such as steel. Low temperature tempering can improve the quality of metal materials in a number of ways, including increasing hardness and fatigue strength, improving heat-dissipating capability, and reducing the possibility of cracking or fracture. This article examines the findings of an experimental research project that has been conducted in an effort to further understand the efficacy of this process and its potential in various industries.

Low temperature tempering is a process commonly used in metal heat treatment as well as for materials such as ceramics, oxides, and alloys. In the heat treatment of steel, low temperature tempering induces a redistribution of carbon and alloying elements, which contributes to improving the overall mechanical properties of the material. For example, lower temperature tempering, when applied to steel alloys, induces a relatively stress-free microstructure due to less harmful precipitates and second phases, which increases the hardness of the resulting material.
    
Experimental Research
The experimental research was conducted in an open flame heat treatment furnace using a HR6P steel alloy sample. The sample was heated to a maximum temperature of 800℃ and then cooled down to a forced 0℃/s. After reaching 180℃, the sample was then placed in a tempering furnace and tempered at temperatures of 180℃, 200℃, 220℃, and 250℃, respectively.
    
Once cooled down to room temperature, microstructural analysis studies using X-ray diffraction, optical and scanning electron microscopy were conducted in order to determine the resulting microstructure and its impact on the material’s properties. The results revealed an increase in hardness for each of the tested temperatures, ranging from 12HRC to 22HRC. The highest hardness values were observed for the sample tempered at 200℃, which reached a value of 20HRC.
      
Findings
The findings of the experimental research suggest that the optimal safety parameters for low temperature tempering of metal alloys in open flame heat treatment furnaces is to temper at 200℃. Doing so will result in the highest hardness of the material. In addition, the research found that the formation of ferrite and pearlite resulted in a higher corrosion resistance, thereby making these materials suitable for a variety of high-temperature applications.
    
Low temperature tempering in open flame heat treatment furnaces is a highly effective process for obtaining an optimal hardness outcome on metal alloy materials. This research project has successfully demonstrated the effectiveness of 180℃ low temperature tempering, which produced a 20HRC hardness result when tempered at 200℃. In addition, the research also identified other advantages of this process, including increased fatigue strength, improved heat-dissipating capacity, and a higher corrosion resistance. As such, low temperature tempering of metal alloys in open flame furnaces is an efficient process for producing high quality metal materials for a variety ofindustrial applications.

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