Tech Talk
What is "Austempering"?
A heat-treatment for ferrous alloys in which a part is quenched from the austenitizing temperature at a rate fast enough to avoid formation of ferrite or pearlite, and then held at the appropriate transformation temperature to achieve the desired characteristics. Austempering at lower temperatures (240 C to 270 C) produces a part with maximum strength, while austempering at higher temperatures (360 C to 380 C) yields high ductility and toughness.