Language Home Careers Services Markets News and media Corporate responsibility Investors About us Blog Technical glossary Contact Locations Heat treatment Case hardening with subsequent hardening operation Case hardening without subsequent hardening operation Hardening and tempering Solution and age Specialty Stainless Steel Processes (S3P) Annealing/Normalising Annealing Recrystallisation Normalising Sub-critical annealing / intercritical annealing Soft annealing Ion implantation Stress relieving Metal joining Surface technology Hot isostatic pressing Annealing/Normalising Annealing is a heat treatment process which alters the microstructure of a material to change its mechanical or electrical properties. Typically, in steels, annealing is used to reduce hardness, increase ductility and help eliminate internal stresses. Annealing is a generic term and may refer to subcritical, intermediate or full annealing in a variety of atmospheres. Annealing Annealing is a heat treatment process used to reduce hardness, increase ductility and help eliminate internal stresses. Recrystallisation Recyrstallisation annealing is applied to cold-worked metal to obtain nucleation and growth of new grains without phase change. Normalising Through normalising the steel can obtain a more fine-grained homogeneous structure with predictable properties and machinability. Sub-critical annealing / intercritical annealing The soft annealing process forms an even distribution of spheroidal carbides in the steel, which will make the material softer and tougher. Soft annealing A high temperature heat treatment process performed around A1, the aim of which is to make a material as soft as possible. Print page Email page Share it Legal Privacy Accessibility Site map Alerts Company registration Copyright