Effect of heat treatment on the properties of deformed alloy 36N

Iron-nickel alloy 36N (Invar) is widely used in industry as a material having an anomalously low and almost constant thermal coefficient of linear expansion (TCLE) in the temperature range of 20 – 100°C. This value of the coefficient is attained after heat treatment of the deformed semifinished product by the regime of quenching from 830°C in water, tempering at 315°C for I h, and aging at 95°C for 48 h. The minimum value of the TCLE is provided by the quenching operation, whereas the tempering and aging prevent growth of the TCLE during long-term operation of Invar. The use of such heat treatment for rods and wire of alloy 36N guarantees a TCLE of at most 1.5 × 10^–6 °C^–1. It is known that the value of the TCLE and the level of the mechanical properties of Invar can be changed by changing the temperature and deformation regime of its treatment. The aim of the present work is to determine an optimum regime of heat treatment of the alloy after drawing that would ensure, without a finishing treatment, a TCLE not exceeding 1.0 × 10^–6 °C^–1 in the temperature range 20 – 100°C.Translated from Metallovedenie i Termicheskaya Obrabotka Metallov, No. 4, pp. 31 – 32, April, 1996.