Through Hardened Steel
As the name suggests, through-hardened steel is a heat treatment where the material benefits from being uniformly hardened to the core instead of just on the surface.
Often referred to as 'neutral hardening', through-hardening increases the hardness and tensile stress of the material. The material differs from nitriding steel which only has a thin, protective outer layer.
Benefits:
- Consistent strength throughout
- Relatively low cost
- Improved hardness, wear resistance and strength
- Hardness levels adjustable via tempering
Heat Treatment Process:
Through-hardening occurs when the material is heated in a furnace before being quenched with a coolant such as water or oil. The quenching process locks in the hardness of the material before subsequent tempering, where the material is re-heated and then allowed to cool gradually.
General fracture risks are increased due to reduced ductility.
Through-hardened steel hardens the entire cross-section of the material and creates an engineering material with improved hardness, strength and durability. However, these characteristics come at a cost, as the resulting product is more brittle than case-hardened steel and could shatter under high impact or loads.
Products of this type find use in various commercial engineering applications, including bearings, axles, hand tools and seat frames.
We stock a range of through-hardening steels, which we also process in-house. We supply our products in metric and imperial sizes.
Call TSM Steel for a competitive quotation on 01922 666 310.
