Hot Finished and Heat Treatment are two related but not entirely identical concepts in the field of metal material processing. When BRISK STEEL produce steel pipes, they will use the two processes of Hot Finished and heat treatment
Hot Finished
Hot Finished refers to the process of plastic deformation of metals at high temperatures, with the aim of changing the shape and size of the material, and possibly affecting its microstructure and properties. Common hot working methods include forging, rolling, and extrusion. These processes are usually carried out above the recrystallization temperature of the metal to reduce processing resistance and enhance the material's plasticity.
Heat treatment
Heat treatment is a process that alters the microstructure of metallic materials through heating, holding at temperature, and cooling without changing their chemical composition, thereby improving their physical and mechanical properties. The main objective of heat treatment is to enhance the material's strength, hardness, toughness, wear resistance, fatigue resistance, etc. Common heat treatment methods include annealing, normalizing, quenching, and tempering, etc.
Differences
1. Different purposes:
• The purpose of Hot Finished is to change the shape and size of the material through plastic deformation, and it may also affect its microstructure.
• The purpose of heat treatment is to improve the physical and mechanical properties of the material by altering its microstructure.
2. Different processes:
• Hot Finished involves plastic deformation of materials, such as forging and rolling, to achieve the desired shape and size.
• Heat treatment involves heating, holding, and cooling materials without changing their shape, but improving their properties by altering their microstructure.
3. Different results:
• The result of Hot Finished is a change in the shape and size of the material, which may be accompanied by a certain degree of change in its microstructure.
• The result of heat treatment is a change in the microstructure of the material, thereby enhancing its physical and mechanical properties, without altering its shape and size.
4. Different application scopes:
• Hot Hot Finished is suitable for situations where shape and size changes are required, such as manufacturing various metal parts and components.
• Heat treatment is suitable for situations where material properties need to be improved, such as increasing the hardness, wear resistance, and fatigue resistance of parts.
5. Different process controls:
• Hot Finished requires control of parameters such as heating temperature, deformation degree, and deformation speed.
• Heat treatment requires control of parameters such as heating temperature, holding time, and cooling speed, and has strict requirements for the process to ensure the desired microstructure is achieved.
Summary
Hot Finished and heat treatment are both important processes for treating metallic materials, but they differ in purpose, process, outcome and application scope. Hot working mainly changes the shape and size of materials through plastic deformation, while heat treatment improves their performance by altering the material's microstructure. In practical applications, these two processes are often combined to achieve the best performance of materials.
