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GCSE Design and Technology · key term
A heat treatment in which suitable steel is heated and then rapidly cooled to increase its hardness.
Used by Edexcel and Eduqas
Specification 2.4.2, 2.6.1 · Paper 1
Revise: Reinforcement and StiffeningHeat treatment and work hardening alter material properties. Beam sections use shape to resist deformation without needing a solid bar of metal.
A treatment that increases a metal's resistance to indentation and wear.
Describe hardening and tempering in order, linking each process to its effect on the steel.
Do not describe hardened steel as automatically tough: hardening increases hardness but also brittleness.
Do not describe all steels as equally suitable for hardening. Low-carbon mild steel needs surface enrichment with carbon for case hardening.
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Component 1
Heating suitable steel and cooling it rapidly to increase its hardness.
Revise: Metal Classification, Ferrous Properties and Heat TreatmentHardening involves heating suitable steel and then cooling it rapidly by quenching in a suitable liquid, such as water or oil. Hardness increases, helping a cutting edge resist wear, but the steel also becomes more brittle. Medium- and high-carbon steels can be hardened this way; mild steel does not respond in the same way because its carbon content is too low.
A heat treatment in which suitable steel is heated and then rapidly cooled, or quenched, to increase its hardness.
