Normalizing is a heat treatment process that increases the toughness of steels. It involves heating steel above a certain temperature, soaking, then air cooling to refine the grain structure, relieve internal stresses, and improve toughness. Normalizing produces a finer grain structure and stronger, harder steel compared to annealing, though it is slightly less ductile. It is commonly the last heat treatment applied before use to enhance the mechanical properties of steels.