How soon after hardening should tempering be performed on steel?

Tempering should be performed immediately after hardening steel to relieve internal stresses and reduce brittleness. When steel is hardened, it undergoes a transformation that makes it hard but also brittle. Tempering is a process that involves reheating the steel to a specified temperature and then allowing it to cool down, which alleviates some of the stresses induced during hardening, enhancing toughness and ductility while maintaining some level of hardness.

Performing tempering right after hardening minimizes the risk of cracking or failure due to retained stresses. If you delay tempering, the hard steel can become excessively brittle and more susceptible to damage. Therefore, for optimal performance and to ensure the material meets the required specifications, immediate tempering is advised. Proper timing in the tempering process is critical in achieving the desired mechanical properties of the steel.