The two primary methods of hardening metals are through hardening and case hardening.
Through Hardening involves heating the entire metal piece to a specific temperature, then rapidly cooling it, typically by quenching in oil, water, or air. This process affects the entire cross-section of the metal, increasing its hardness and strength uniformly. The transformation occurs due to the rapid cooling, which stabilizes the crystalline structure into a harder form. This method is suitable for metals with high carbon content, where the entire piece needs to be hardened.
Case Hardening focuses on the surface of the metal, creating a hard, wear-resistant outer layer while maintaining a softer, tougher core. This is achieved through various processes like carburizing, carbonitriding, nitriding, and nitrocarburizing. In carburizing, for example, the metal is heated in a carbon-rich environment, allowing carbon to diffuse into the surface. Afterward, the piece is quenched to harden the enriched surface layer. This method is ideal for low-carbon steels, which are ductile but lack sufficient hardness for many applications.
Both methods aim to enhance the mechanical properties of metals, particularly hardness and wear resistance, by altering their microstructures through controlled heating and cooling processes. Through hardening is generally used when uniform hardness is required throughout the metal, while case hardening is preferred when a balance between surface hardness and core toughness is needed.
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