Generalized Heat Treatment Processes for Bar Steel in Natural Gas Fired Furnaces

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Practical guidance on austenitizing, quenching, and tempering with easy calculations for BTU/hr, natural gas flow, and electrical demand.

Overview

Heat treatment of bar steel is the controlled heating and cooling of steel to achieve target mechanical properties such as hardness, strength, and toughness. The common sequence is austenitize (hardening), quench, and temper. This guide summarizes typical setpoints and provides a reusable sizing method for utility estimates in natural gas fired lines.

1. Process Steps

Step	Description	Typical Equipment
Austenitizing (Hardening)	Heat bars to the austenitizing range and soak by section thickness before quenching.	Gas-fired box or continuous furnace; protective or air atmosphere
Quenching	Rapid cooling in oil, polymer, or water to form martensite; strong agitation recommended.	Oil or water quench tank, agitation, filtration, cooling
Tempering	Reheat quenched bars to reduce brittleness and tune hardness/strength.	Gas-fired or electric tempering furnace

2. Temperature Ranges

Ranges vary by specification and alloy producer data; always verify against the material standard.

Process	Plain Carbon (e.g., 1045)	Low-Alloy (e.g., 4140)
Austenitize	1500–1550 °F (815–845 °C)	1525–1600 °F (830–870 °C)
Oil Quench Temperature	120–160 °F (50–70 °C)	120–180 °F (50–80 °C)
Temper	350–900 °F (175–480 °C)	400–1100 °F (205–595 °C)

3. Energy Calculation

Given:
  m_dot = steel mass flow (lb/hr)
  Cp_steel ≈ 0.12 BTU/lb-°F
  T_set = target temperature (°F)
  T_amb = ambient temperature (°F)

Sensible heat into parts:
  Q_load (BTU/hr) = m_dot × Cp_steel × (T_set − T_amb)

Firing requirement:
  Q_input = Q_load / η_furnace
  Gas flow (scf/hr) = Q_input / 1000  (NG HHV ≈ 1000 BTU/scf)

Typical Efficiencies

Hardening furnace: 60–70 percent
Tempering furnace: 45–60 percent

Electrical Demand

Hardening: 10–25 kW (fans, exhaust, conveyors, controls)
Tempering: 3–12 kW
Atmosphere systems: add 2–10 kW as applicable

4. Example Calculations

A) Hardening (Austenitize) Example

Scenario: 1045 bars to 1550 °F (845 °C); throughput 2,000 lb/hr; ambient 70 °F; furnace efficiency 60 percent.

Parameter	Value
Heat load Q_load	2,000 × 0.12 × (1550 − 70) = 355,200 BTU/hr
Required input Q_input	355,200 ÷ 0.60 = 592,000 BTU/hr
Natural gas flow	≈ 592 scf/hr (HHV = 1000 BTU/scf)
Electrical demand	10–25 kW
Cooling load to quench	≈ 355,000 BTU/hr (≈ 104 kW thermal)

B) Tempering Examples

Parameter	600 °F Temper	900 °F Temper
Throughput	2,000 lb/hr	2,000 lb/hr
ΔT	530 °F	830 °F
Heat load Q_load	127,200 BTU/hr	199,200 BTU/hr
Furnace efficiency	50 percent	50 percent
Required input Q_input	254,400 BTU/hr	398,400 BTU/hr
Natural gas flow	≈ 254 scf/hr	≈ 398 scf/hr
Electrical demand	3–12 kW	5–12 kW

5. Quenching System Loads

Component	Energy Requirement	Notes
Oil heater (standby)	50,000–300,000 BTU/hr	Maintain 120–180 °F when idle; during steady runs, hot parts often supply most heat
Agitation motor	4–11 kW	Improves heat transfer and uniformity
Pumps (oil/water)	2–10 kW	Circulation and filtration
Heat rejection (tower/chiller)	5–30 kW	Rejects the parts sensible heat (see examples)

6. Simplified Design Template

Variable	Formula	Units
Heat load	`Q_load = m_dot × 0.12 × (T_set − 70)`	BTU/hr
Gas flow	`Gas = (Q_load / η) / 1000`	scf/hr
Cooling capacity	`≈ Q_load`	BTU/hr
Electrical power	`Estimate: Hardening 10–25; Temper 3–12; Quench 6–40`	kW

7. Summary Table

Furnace Type	Temperature Range	Gas Flow (scf/hr)	Electrical (kW)	Efficiency
Austenitizing	1500–1600 °F	500–700	10–25	≈ 60 percent
Tempering	400–900 °F	250–400	3–12	≈ 50 percent
Oil heater	120–180 °F	50–300	5–15	≈ 45 percent

Gas flows are illustrative and derived from the worked examples at 2,000 lb/hr throughput. Adjust using the formulas above for your bar size and production rate.