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How to Heat Treat a Grain Structure

Steel is used in a variety of applications, from ships hulls to building support beams. However, steel for structural use is typically a mixture, or an alloy of iron and carbon. This steel alloy provides more strength than pure steel itself. Creating the alloy requires heat treatment of the pure steel, altering its grain structure. The grain structure reflects the positioning of the individual atoms in the steel. The heat treatment process requires industrial tools and dangerous heat. Typically, this process should only be performed by a trained individual.

Things You'll Need

Annealing Oven
Steel
Carbon
Tongs
Gloves

Instructions

- 1
  Place the steel in the annealing oven with tongs and then heat the oven to 1,350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 2
  Monitor the oven as the temperature rises. Once the temperature reaches 1,350 degrees Fahrenheit, the steel's natural grain structure will change. The atoms rearrange themselves, forming small pockets in between each atom.
- 3
  Place the carbon in the 1,350 degree Fahrenheit annealing oven. The carbon will slowly infiltrate the steel's new grain structure. In fact, the carbon atoms will fill the pockets between the steel's atoms, creating a strong alloy material.
- 4
  Lower the annealing oven's temperature to between 1,200 and 1,300 degrees Fahrenheit. Allow the steel alloy to remain within this temperature range, also referred to as "soaking."
- 5
  Turn the oven off and allow the steel alloy to slowly cool. The steel's temperature should only drop between 5 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit for each hour after its soaking period.
- 6
  Remove the steel from the oven -- after it has cooled to room temperature -- resulting in a heat treated grain structure.

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