Distortion in Heat Treated Tube: A Materials Engineering Approach

Abstract

Problem: A tube heat treater was making heavily distorted tubes with “hooked” ends on their induction heat treating line. The first and last meter of every tube was more than 1cm out of straightness. Hypothesis: Non-uniform phase transformation can occur from asymmetric heating and cooling, and the observed distortion is due to asymmetric heating and cooling during heat treatment of the tube.