Define heat treatment. Give any two purposes of heat treatment.
Heat treatment:- The process of heating steel to a certain high temperature and then cooling it at a controlled rate in order to develop certain physical properties without changing its chemical composition is known as heat treatment of steel.
Purpose of heat treatment:-
1) To change the structure of steel.
2) To increase surface hardness.
3) To increase resistance to heat & corrosion.
4) To alter the magnetic properties of steel.
5) To vary strength and hardness.
6) To make steel easily workable.
7) To remove trapped gases.
8) To improve machinability and mechanical properties.