Heat treatment for 1016 steel

[GeorgeEllwood]

Hello,
I was wondering if someone can advise on a stress relieve heat treatment for some faily large blocks of steel, 6”(150mm) x 2.5” (63mm) x 12” (300mm) approximately.
For smaller blocks I've used 45 minutes at 650°C. But for these blocks I think I need to leave them at 650°C for longer. Can anyone advise?
Thanks
George

 

[redpicker]

You could always use the old rule of thumb, an hour per inch of thickness. You may need to see if there are any codes that specifiy a specific cycle, but in the absence of controlling specifications, an hour per inch should be sufficient.

rp

 

[metengr]

As an option I would suggest an hour per inch of thickness to 2", and for thicker materials you are looking at 2 hours of hold time plus 15 minutes of hold time at temperature for each additional inch of material thickness.

 

[stanweld]

The time at temperature should be based on for what reason stress relieving is required. Dimensional stability? Hardness? It appears that welding is not an issue.