recuit

Recuit is a term used in metallurgy to describe an annealing heat treatment of metals and alloys. Derived from the French verb cuire, the noun recuit denotes heating a material to a specific temperature, holding it to allow recovery and recrystallization, and then cooling it at a controlled rate. The purpose is to reduce hardness, relieve internal stresses, soften the microstructure, and improve ductility and machinability.

Typical steps involve heating to a prescribed temperature within the material’s recrystallization range, maintaining the temperature for a period, and then cooling at a controlled rate. The exact temperatures, times, and cooling paths depend on the material and the desired properties. In steel, recuit may be used to soften after work hardening; in nonferrous metals, it can homogenize composition and refine grains. The process is selected to achieve a balance between softness and structural integrity for subsequent operations.

Variants and scope: Recuit is a broad term for annealing procedures. Depending on the industry and language, related processes may be described as full annealing, process annealing, or stress-relief annealing, each with specific aims such as maximum softness, restoration of ductility, or relief of residual stresses.

Materials and outcomes: Recuit is applied to a wide range of metals, including steel, aluminum, copper, brass, and various alloys. The primary outcomes are reduced hardness, increased ductility, relieved residual stresses, and a more uniform microstructure, all of which facilitate subsequent manufacturing steps such as forming, welding, or machining.