The Normalizing Process

Microscopic Changes

This process helps refine the grains of the metal at a microscopic level. Normalizing permits the production of more finely grained steels and ferrous metals with fewer air bubbles and thick-grained inclusions than castings. The reheating process allows entrapped gases to escape and enables the metal to form finer grains during re-cooling.

As a result, normalized steels and ferrous alloys soften and grow more ductile. Yet these metals retain greater strength and hardness than materials which undergo some other annealing processes. Normalizing has become widespread today in many metal parts fabrication environments.