Abstract

Engineering materials, mostly steel, are heat treated under controlled operation of heating and

cooling to alter their physical and mechanical properties to meet desired engineering

applications. In this experiment, the effect of heat treatment (annealing, normalizing and

quenching) on the microstructure and hardness was observed. The steel samples were heat

treated in box furnace at different temperature levels and holding times; and then cooled in

different media. The hardness of the treated and untreated samples were determined using Brinell

hardness test and the microstructure of the samples was examined using metallographic

microscope.