Coverage on heat treating in the ASM Handbook series is being expanded into several volumes, and ASM Handbook, Volume 4A, Steel Heat Treating Fundamentals and Processes is the first of multiple volumes on heat treating. Volume 4A introduces the basics of steel heat treating and provides in-depth coverage of the many steel heat treating processes. Coverage includes:

Physical metallurgy of steel heat treatment
Fundamentals of steel hardness and hardenability
Practical aspects of hardenability as a key criterion in the selection of steel
Hardenability calculations and the use of hardenability data
Fundamentals and practical aspects of steel quenching
Expanded coverage on quenching processes
Updates and expansion on annealing, tempering, austempering and martempering
New articles on cleaning, subcritical annealing, austenitising, and quench partitioning of steel heat treatment
Significant expansion on the fundamental and applied aspects of surface hardening by applied energy, carburising, carbonitriding, nitriding, and diffusion coatings

Editors and authors have also added charts, examples, and practical reference data for application purposes.