This is the conclusion to David Pye's blog on retained austenite.

The company is using the Alnor dew-point test unit. The Alnor unit has been in the heat-treatment industry since the mid-1920s.

While in the U.K. on metallurgical consulting assignments, the writer was presented with a problem of varying surface hardness due to inconsistent formations of retained austenite on repeated batches of carburized and hardened heat-treated components.

We often look to sophisticated tools for answers, but there is a simple, yet highly effective, method for quantifying our furnace’s performance – the Navy C-ring test.

The problem of retained austenite is twofold.

We will cover retained austenite and finish our hints.

Quenching is the area in a heat-treat operation where the problem of distortion will most likely occur.

We began our discussion of retained austenite as a problem last week, and we will conclude that discussion here.

We will address the reasons why retained austenite can be a problem, and we will conclude our discussion with the control and elimination of retained austenite.

 

Retained austenite (by nature) is soft and has a much lower strength and wear resistance than is seen in freshly formed plate martensite.