CLICK HERE FOR INDEX PAGE | ||
ANNEALING METALS | ||
V. Ryan © 2005 - 2009 | ||
PDF FILE - CLICK HERE FOR PRINTABLE WORKSHEET | ||
Annealing is a heat process whereby a metal is heated to a specific temperature /colour and then allowed to cool slowly. This softens the metal which means it can be cut and shaped more easily. Mild steel, is heated to a red heat and allowed to cool slowly. However, metals such as aluminium will melt if heated for too long. |
||
Aluminium can be annealed but care must be taken
whilst heating. The flame should be held at a distance to the aluminium
so that it gives a generalised heating to the metal. |
||
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES: Annealed metals are relatively soft and can be cut and shaped more easily. They bend easily when pressure is applied. As a rule they are heated and allowed to cool slowly. The animation below, shows that an annealed metal is usually softer and can be deformed more easily than metals that are not annealed |
||
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES: Hardened metals are difficult to cut and shape. They are very difficult if not impossible to bend. As a rule they are heated and cooled very quickly by quenching in clean, cold water. The animation below shows that metals that have not been annealed are very difficult to deform. |
||
|
||
QUESTIONS: |
||
|
||