DIN EN ISO 4885:2026-11

Use Standardized Heat Treatment Terminology with Confidence

DIN EN ISO 4885 defines the fundamental terms used in the heat treatment of ferrous materials. It establishes standardized technical terminology for heat treatment processes, material conditions, microstructures, thermochemical treatments, and heat-treatment-related defects. The standard helps professionals in materials engineering, heat treatment, quality assurance, and research describe technical matters clearly and avoid misunderstandings in documentation, production, and testing.

What Is DIN EN ISO 4885 About?

The standard contains a comprehensive glossary of terms for the heat treatment of ferrous materials. It defines technical terms relating to annealing, hardening, quenching, tempering, ageing, thermochemical treatments, microstructure formation, and heat-treatment-related defects and properties. It also describes the relationships between heat treatment processes, metallurgical structures, and material behaviour.

Compared with the previous edition, the terminology has been significantly expanded and restructured. The terms are now organized into thematic categories, making them easier to use in practice, standardization, and education.

Topics Covered

• Basic terms relating to the heat treatment of ferrous materials
• Annealing processes and normalizing
• Quenching, hardening, and tempering
• Ageing and precipitation processes
• Thermochemical treatments such as carburizing, nitriding, and nitrocarburizing
• Surface heat treatments such as induction, flame, and laser hardening
• Microstructures such as ferrite, austenite, bainite, martensite, and pearlite
• Time-temperature-transformation diagrams and heat treatment parameters
• Defects such as decarburization, temper embrittlement, and hydrogen embrittlement

Practical Relevance

Heat treatment has a decisive influence on the properties of steels and cast irons. Standardized terminology is therefore essential for reliable communication between development, production, testing, and research. DIN EN ISO 4885 helps companies document heat treatment processes clearly and use technical terms consistently.

The standard is particularly relevant when interpreting heat treatment specifications, test reports, material specifications, and technical rules. It facilitates communication between international partners and contributes to harmonizing technical terminology in materials engineering.

Changes Compared with DIN EN ISO 4885:2018-07

The 2026 edition has been comprehensively revised. The most important changes include:

• Restructuring of the terms into nine thematic categories
• Addition of 66 new terms, including continuous austenitizing diagram, expanded austenite, partitioning, and total SHD thickness
• Deletion of nine previous terms, including acicular structure, ferritic steel, and quenching temperature
• Integration of several previously separate terms into shared definitions
• Addition of 39 synonyms to improve international comparability
• Editorial and technical revision of the document

Target Audience

• Materials engineers
• Heat treatment specialists
• Metallurgists
• Quality managers and testing laboratories
• Manufacturers of steel and cast products
• Experts and auditors
• Universities and research institutions
• Professionals in materials testing and materials development

Conclusion

DIN EN ISO 4885 is the central glossary for the heat treatment of ferrous materials. With its significantly expanded and restructured terminology, it promotes consistent technical language in materials engineering, metallurgy, and heat treatment, while facilitating international communication about processes, microstructures, and material properties.

This document replaces DIN EN ISO 4885:2018-07 .

And replaced by 2026-11 for:: DIN EN ISO 4885:2018-07 , DIN EN ISO 4885:2025-11 .