Different types of steel have different properties. These properties dictate how good of a fit steel will be with your project needs. While regular steels work well in many scenarios, there might be times when you need a metal that has gone through a special treatment process such as quenching and tempering.

What is quenched and tempered steel? Why are its additional properties useful?

What Is Quenched and Tempered Steel?

The quenching and tempering process takes regular steel and changes some of its properties. This process has two parts.

First, the steel goes through a quenching treatment. During this part of the process, you heat the metal to a high temperature. You then cool it rapidly to control its heat-related structural changes. Cooling aids here include water, oil, air or a gas such as nitrogen.

After quenching, the steel becomes much harder. At this stage, you have to temper it to adjust its hardness and to give it the different physical characteristics it needs for its grade.

During the tempering process, you heat the steel again. However, you use a lower temperature range at this stage. This temperature, and the heating time, can vary depending on how you want the finished metal to work. Once the steel reaches its optimum temperature for the required amount of time, you leave it to cool. Typically, you use air cooling for this part of the process.

What Are the Advantages of Quenched and Tempered Steel?

Quenched and tempered steels have some advantages over regular steels. For a start, these treatments harden and strengthen the metal to create a more robust end-product with higher yield strength.

This treated steel is also typically a lot tougher than standard steel. For example, quenching and tempering increase a metal's abrasion resistance. If the steel you'll use will be subject to heavy-duty wear or abrasion, then this option is an excellent fit. After treatment, these steels can deal with a lot of environmental stress without getting damaged.

You'll also find that this kind of steel loses some of the metal's natural brittleness. It becomes more ductile. This extra pliability can be useful on jobs where you might need to shape the metal without breaking it.

To find out more about quenched and tempered steel and its suitability for your project, contact steel supplies companies. They can help you choose the right treatment grade to give you steel products with the correct characteristics for your needs.

For more information on steel supplies, contact a company near you.