Influence of induction heating on static recrystallization kinetics of AISI 4130 steel

Most metals used in industrial applications undergo at least one form of heat treatment to enhance their mechanical properties. Induction heating is an attractive energy-efficient alternative to conventional radiant heating methods, but its widespread industrial adoption is hindered by fundamental knowledge gaps. To remedy this, this study aims to investigate the effects induction heating has on static recrystallization kinetics and microstructural evolution of American Iron and Steel Institute 4130 steel. We hypothesize that induction heating, like other electric current-based techniques, will accelerate the recrystallization rate of the investigated 4130 steel samples. Microhardness measurements and optical and scanning electron microscopy images were collected after heating the 4130 steel samples for varying times using an induction heater. These results were then compared to those obtained from traditional radiant heat treatments performed with identical heating profiles in a muffle furnace. Overall, our results indicate accelerated static recrystallization kinetics and microstructural evolution among the induction-heated samples. However, results also suggest that induction heating impacts other metallurgical phenomena such as pearlite spheroidization and electron-crystal interactions. Further investigation is needed to decouple these additional effects and optimize heating pathways, paving the way for induction heating technologies to become a leading method in metal heat treatments.