What is the main benefit of normalizing steel after heat treatment?

The main benefit of normalizing steel after heat treatment is to reduce internal tension within the material. Normalizing is a heat treatment process that involves heating steel to a specific temperature and then allowing it to cool in air. This process helps to relieve stresses that may have developed during manufacturing or previous heat treatments, leading to a more uniform microstructure.

By performing normalizing, the steel is subjected to a controlled cooling process, which promotes the transformation of the microstructure into a more stable and homogeneous state. This stabilization helps to minimize the risk of warping or cracking during subsequent heating or mechanical processing.

Additionally, while normalizing does improve certain properties, such as refining the grain structure and potentially enhancing weldability, the primary focus in terms of structural integrity is the reduction of internal stresses. This reduced internal tension leads to improved overall reliability of the material in practical applications.