Which process is necessary to reduce brittleness in alloy steel?

Tempering is the process that is necessary to reduce brittleness in alloy steel. When alloy steels are hardened through quenching, they often become too hard and brittle, which makes them susceptible to failure under stress. The tempering process involves heating the hardened steel to a temperature below its critical point, which allows for the adjustment of its mechanical properties.

During tempering, the internal stresses that develop during hardening are relieved, and the hardness of the steel is lowered to a more manageable level. This controlled heating process causes the formation of tempered martensite, which has improved toughness and ductility compared to untempered steel. Thus, tempering helps in achieving a balance between hardness and toughness, ensuring that the alloy steel can withstand the rigorous demands of various applications.

While processes like martempering and normalizing are also related to heat treatment and adjusting the properties of steel, they serve different purposes. Martempering is primarily used for preventing distortion and cracking by quenching the steel to a martensitic structure while avoiding residual stress. Normalizing is often applied to refine grain size and improve strength and toughness, but it may not specifically target brittleness in already hardened steels like tempering does. Carburizing, on the other hand, is a