Full Annealing

Annealing a ferrous alloy by austenitizing and then cooling slowly through the transformation range. The ausenitizing temperature to hypoeutectoid steel is usually above Ac3; and for hypereutectoid steel, usually between Ac1 and Accm. Or in other words, heating steel to above the upper critical temperature and slow cooling, usually in a furnace.

This process is referred to as full annealing because it achieves full austenization of hypoeutectoid steels.

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