Annealed steel is a type of steel that has undergone a heat treatment process called annealing. Annealing is used to reduce hardness, increase ductility, and eliminate internal stresses in the material. The process involves heating the steel above its recrystallization temperature and then slowly cooling it. This allows the microstructure of the steel to be rearranged, resulting in a softer and more ductile material.
On the other hand, tempered steel is steel that has undergone a different heat treatment process called tempering. Tempering is done after the steel has been quench hardened or normalized. The purpose of tempering is to reduce the brittleness in the hardened steel and remove internal strains caused by the sudden cooling in the quenching bath. During tempering, the steel is heated to a specific temperature and then cooled. This process results in the formation of different microstructures in the steel, such as troostite or sorbite, which have improved toughness and ductility compared to fully hardened martensite.
The main difference between annealed and tempered steel lies in their purpose and the resulting properties of the material. Annealed steel is softer and more ductile, making it easier to work with and less likely to crack. It is often used for subsequent processing, such as machining or forming. Tempered steel, on the other hand, has a desired level of hardness and improved toughness, making it suitable for applications where strength and durability are important, such as construction materials or automotive components.
In summary, annealed steel is a softer and more ductile material obtained through the annealing process, while tempered steel is a hardened material with improved toughness obtained through the tempering process.
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