ANNEALING

A heating and cooling operation implying usually a relatively slow cooling. Annealing is a comprehensive term. The process of such a heat treatment may be: to remove stresses; to induce softness: to alter ductility; toughness; electrical magnetic, or other physical properties; to refine the crystalline structure; to remove gases: to produce a definite micro-structure. In annealing, the temperature of the operation and the rate of cooling depend upon the material being heat treated and the purpose of the treatment.