Heatwork is the combined effect of temperature and time. It is important to several industries:

• Ceramic
  Ceramic
  A ceramic is an inorganic, nonmetallic solid prepared by the action of heat and subsequent cooling. Ceramic materials may have a crystalline or partly crystalline structure, or may be amorphous...
  
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• Glass and metal annealing
  Annealing (metallurgy)
  Annealing, in metallurgy and materials science, is a heat treatment wherein a material is altered, causing changes in its properties such as strength and hardness. It is a process that produces conditions by heating to above the recrystallization temperature, maintaining a suitable temperature, and...
  
  
• Metal heat treating

Pyrometric device

Pyrometric device

Pyrometric devices gauge heatwork when firing materials inside a kiln. Pyrometric devices do not measure temperature, but can report temperature equivalents...

s can be used to gauge heat work as they deform or contract due to heatwork to produce temperature equivalents. Within tolerances, firing can be undertaken at lower temperatures for a longer period to achieve comparable results. When the amount of heatwork of two firings is the same, the pieces may look identical, but there may be differences not visible to the eye, such as mechanical strength and microstructure

Microstructure

Microstructure is defined as the structure of a prepared surface or thin foil of material as revealed by a microscope above 25× magnification...

. Heatwork is taught in material science courses, but is not a precise measurement or a valid scientific concept.

External links

• Temperature equivalents table & description of Bullers Rings.
• Temperature equivalents table & description of Nimra Cerglass pyrometric cones.
• Temperature equivalents table & description of Orton pyrometric cones.
• Temperature equivalents table of Seger pyrometric cones.
• Temperature Equivalents, °F & °C for Bullers Ring.