Heat Treatment — Hardening of Hypo-Eutectoid Steel Which procedure correctly describes hardening (quenching) for a hypo-eutectoid steel?

Introduction / Context:
Hardening of hypo-eutectoid steels (carbon content below about 0.8%) aims to produce a martensitic microstructure by austenitising followed by rapid quenching. This increases hardness and strength prior to optional tempering for toughness.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Material is hypo-eutectoid steel.
• Upper critical temperature (A3) is the austenitising threshold for this steel.
• Quenching medium may be water, brine, or oil depending on hardenability and geometry.

Concept / Approach:
The standard hardening route for hypo-eutectoid steel is: heat to A3 + 30–50° C to fully transform ferrite + pearlite into homogeneous austenite; then quench rapidly to suppress diffusion and form martensite. Air or furnace cooling would allow pearlite/bainite to form, giving lower hardness and defeating the objective of “hardening.”

Step-by-Step Solution:
Raise temperature to slightly above A3 to ensure complete austenitisation.Hold for adequate soak time to equalise temperature and dissolve carbides.Quench suddenly in a suitable medium to transform austenite to martensite.Optionally temper afterward to trade some hardness for toughness.

Verification / Alternative check:
Compare with normalising (air cool) and annealing (furnace cool): only quenching after austenitising yields martensite-level hardness.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Air cooling produces normalised structure, not hardened martensite.Furnace cooling yields an annealed, softer microstructure.Heating below A1 (lower critical) cannot form austenite; hardening is impossible.

Common Pitfalls:
Insufficient soak or too slow a quench results in pearlite/bainite and inadequate hardness.

Final Answer:
heated 30–50° C above the upper critical temperature and then cooled suddenly in a suitable quenching medium