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Normalizing process in brief

Short answer

Normalizing heats steel 40–50°C above its upper critical temperature, soaks it, then cools in still air. This produces a fine pearlite structure with higher strength and toughness than annealing, relieves internal stresses, and is used for structural steel and as a pre-hardening treatment.

Describe normalizing.

Normalizing is a heat treatment in which steel is heated to about 40-50 C above its upper critical temperature, soaked for a short period, and then cooled in still air at room temperature.

  • The cooling is faster than in annealing, so it gives a finer, more uniform grain (fine pearlite).
  • It gives higher strength, hardness and toughness than annealing, and removes internal stresses from forging, rolling or casting.
  • It is used for structural steel, castings and forgings, and as a preparation before hardening.

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