Edexcel GCSE Design and Technology · 1DT0
Specification 2.4.2, 2.6.1 · Paper 1
Reheating hardened steel to a lower temperature to reduce brittleness and increase toughness while retaining useful hardness.
Revise: Reinforcement and StiffeningTempering follows hardening. The hardened steel is reheated to a lower temperature than that used for hardening and then allowed to cool. This reduces brittleness and increases toughness, the ability to withstand impact without fracturing, while retaining useful hardness.
- Revise: Manufacturing Processes
Reheating quenched metal under controlled conditions to improve toughness.