Description of hardenability and the difference betweenhardness and

hardenability
Hardenability is the ability of a steel to transform from austenite to some
fractionof martensite at a given depth below the surface when it is cooled under
specificconditions. For example, a steel of a high hardenability can transform to a
highfraction of martensite to depths of several millimetres under relatively
slowcooling, such as an oil quench, whereas a steel of low hardenability may
onlyform a high fraction of martensite to a depth of less than a millimetre, even
under rapid cooling such as a water quench. Hardenability therefore describes
thecapacity of the steel to harden in depth under a given set of conditions.
Highhardenability allows slower quenches to be used (e.g. oil or air quench),
whichreduces the distortion and residual stress from lack of uniformity in
temperatureregions.Hardness is a measure of the material's resistance to
indentation or scratching.
(ii)Effect of carbon content and other alloying elements onhardenability
The hardenability of ferrousalloys is a function of thecarboncontent and
other alloying elements, the grain size of theaustenite,and the cooling rate.
Therelative importance of the various alloying elements is calculated by finding
theequivalent carbon contentof the material.Maximum hardness in steels is
obtained by producing a fully martensiticstructure. This can be done by
austenitizing the steel and then quenching it.During the austenitizing treatment
all of the carbides dissolve and the ferrite

transforms into austenite. Quenching this structure causes the austenite

totransform via a shear mechanism into martensite. This transformation is so
fast(Martensite needles grow at close to the speed of sound.) that there is no
time tothe carbon to diffuse out of the martensite grains or to form carbide
phases. Themartensite, supersaturated with carbon, is very hard and also very
brittle.Carbon, being a very effective solid solution strengthening agent,
essentiallydetermines the hardness of the martensite. Cases where a lesser
degree of hardening can be attributed to the presence of other alloying elements,
but theseelements tend to also make it more difficult to obtain a fully
martensiticmicrostructure. So while maximum hardness in a given steel is
dependent on our ability to produce a fully martensitic microstructure, the
hardness of themartensite is largely determined by its carbon content.
Detailed explanation for the variations in microstructureand hardness
along the length of the Jominy bar
High hardness occurs where high volume fractions of martensite develop.
Lower hardness indicates transformation to bainite or ferrite/pearlite
microstructures.Hardening of steels can be understood by considering that on
cooling from hightemperature, the austenite phase of the steel can transform to
either martensite or amixture of ferrite and pearlite. The ferrite/pearlite reaction
involves diffusion, which takestime. However, the martensite transformation does
not involve diffusion and essentiallyis instantaneous. These two reactions are
competitive, and martensite is obtained if thecooling rate is fast enough to avoid
the slower formation of ferrite and pearlite. In alloyedsteels, the

ferrite/ pearlite reaction is further slowed down, which allowsmartensite to be

obtained using slower cooling rates. Transformation to another possible phase
can be understood in a similar way

conclusion

The Jominy test describes the ability of the steel to be hardened in depth
byquenching. The hardenability depends on the alloy composition of the steel, and
canalso be affected by processing, such as the austenitisation temperature.
Knowledge of the hardenability of steels is necessary in order to select the
appropriate combination of alloy and heat treatment for components of different
size, to minimise thermal stressesand distortion.

Quenching or hardening involves heating, soaking and cooling processes of thespecimen. The
steel is heated to a suitable temperature , 10C above the higher criticalpoint A3
for hypo- eutectoid and 10C above lower critical point A
1
for hyper-eutectoidsteel. The soaking period depends on the width of the specimen. This
follows by asuitable rapid cooling process in a suitable cooling medium such as water, salt
solution,air and others. The microstructure formed is martensite which is hard and brittle.