Description of the technology

Annealing is a heat treatment process that changes the physical and sometimes chemical properties of a material. The annealing process involves heating the product to a temperature above the recrystallisation temperature, holding it at that temperature and then cooling it in a controlled manner. The rate of cooling depends on the type of metal being annealed. Steel is usually cooled in air, while copper, silver and brass can be cooled slowly in air or quenched rapidly in water.

Alternative technologies

  • none

Visualisation of action

    Workpiece material types

    • all material groups
    • ferrous metals
    • non-ferrous metals
    • non-ferrous metals alloys

    Examples of products

    • steel pipes
    • exhaust systems
    • aluminum sheets
    • wings
    • fuselages
    • rolled blades and knives
    • copper wires

    Implementation of the technology

    Required resources

    • heat furnaces

    Required competences

    • on-the-job training

    Environmental aspects

    Water consumption

    Energy consumption

    Waste generated

    Expert evaluation

    Competitiveness

    Usability

    Environmental impact

    Development centers

    • AGH University of Krakow
    • Institute of Metallurgy and Materials Science of Polish Academy of Sciences
    • Warsaw University of Technology
    • Cracow University of Technology
    • Łukasiewicz – Upper Silesian Institute of Technology
    • Czestochowa University of Technology

    Legal conditions

    Companies using the technology