METHOD FOR HARDENING OF BULKY ARTICLES OF COMPLICATED CONFIGURATION Russian patent published in 1998 - IPC

FIELD: heat treatment; may be used in hardening of rotors of atomic and steam power plants. SUBSTANCE: method includes heating of article to temperature of austenitization, holding at this temperature, cooling of each section with average transfer coefficient on surface α = 900-1200 W/sq.m x K up to attaining temperature on its surface of 5-99 C, then continuation of cooling with average heat transfer coefficient on the surface α = 450-600 W/sq. m x K up to attaining by each section of heat content equals to its heat content with heating up to temperature of t = Tbc - (Tbc - 100), where Tbc is temperature of the end of bainite conversion, C; with cooling finished in the air. EFFECT: higher efficiency. 2 tbl