Rapid Tempering: Opportunities and Challenges

Rapid tempering involves shorter times and faster heating rates compared to conventional tempering. Utilizing rapid tempering via industrial processes, such as induction heating, not only offers the opportunity for improved mechanical properties, but also for reduced processing times and energy costs. The current study demonstrates an improvement in toughness with rapid tempering by examining impact toughness at a constant tempering parameter for short-time (1 s) and conventional (3600 s) tempering treatments of 4340 steel. Fracture behavior is found to complement the observed toughness behavior, where higher impact energy conditions are associated with a greater percentage of ductile fracture. The role of the Hollomon–Jaffe tempering parameter, as well as the use of hardness as a metric to characterize degree of tempering, is discussed in light of the results comparing rapid and conventional tempering conditions. This study indicates promising mechanical properties associated with short-time tempering, especially within the tempered martensite embrittlement (TME) regime, and exposes challenges associated with predicting performance strictly based on hardness when rapid tempering is utilized.