Processglödgning

Processglödgning is a heat treatment process used in metallurgy. It involves heating a material to a specific temperature, holding it there for a period, and then cooling it. The primary goals of processglödgning are to soften the material, improve its ductility, reduce internal stresses, and refine its grain structure. This makes the material easier to work with in subsequent manufacturing steps such as machining, forming, or welding.

The exact parameters of processglödgning, including the temperature, hold time, and cooling rate, are critical and depend on the specific material being treated and the desired outcome. For example, during the glödgning of steel, temperatures are typically kept below the critical transformation temperature to achieve a full anneal, which results in a very soft and ductile state. In other cases, processglödgning might be used to relieve stresses introduced during cold working without significantly altering the material's strength.

Different types of processglödgning exist, such as full anneal, process anneal, and stress relief anneal, each tailored to specific metallurgical objectives. Full anneal is often used to produce the softest possible state. Process anneal, also known as intermediate anneal, is typically performed during multistage cold working processes to restore ductility between working steps. Stress relief anneal aims to reduce residual stresses without significant changes in hardness or microstructure. Effective processglödgning requires careful control over the heating and cooling cycles.