Quenching

Quenching
Medina Kaknjo
Technical Expert-Heat Treat
PTO Supplier Technical Assistance
Global Purchasing
Mystery around Quenching

Black art, surrounded by
fumes, fire, mystery and
intrigue
The quenching process
takes only a few seconds
Often neglected or
considered a low priority
Can result in inadequate
hardness, excessive
distortion or scrapping of
costly machined
components, together
with the environmental
problems of smoke, fumes
and fire hazards
Oil quenching of critical aerospace components
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Mystery around Quenching (cont.)
Fire Hazard during oil quenching
After conversion to Aqua-Quench polymer

quenchant
Quenching fundamentals
Heat
treatment can be defined as an

operation or combination of operations
involving the controlled heating and cooling
of a metal in the solid state for the purpose
of obtaining specific properties.
Quenching of steel involves the rapid
cooling of austenite to transform it into the
hard structure martensite. This is generally
achieved by cooling at a sufficiently fast rate
to avoid the formation of soft constituents in
the steel (pearlite and bainite).
Iron Carbon Phase Diagram
Fe-C Phase diagram (%C<=1.00)

6
1650
Austenite-FCC
4
3
Ferrite & Austenite
1
2
Ferrite
1320
Ferrite-BCC & Iron Carbide

(Pearlite Or Spheroidite)
1100
950
700
Temp
10
200
11
0.83
Carbon content
TTT Diagram
Quenching
Quenchants include (slowest to fastest):
Forced Air
Forced Nitrogen Gas
Agitated Oil
Polymer
Water
Salt Water
Factors that influence type of the

quenchant to be used are:
Grade(hardenability) of the metal to be

quenched
Desired physical and mechanical properties
Mass of the metal being quenched
Quenching (cont.)
Higher
agitation and lower quench media

temperature, higher the cooling rate
Higher the cooling rate, higher the hardness
Quenching methods: Bath, Spray, Selective
Distortion is reduced by reducing difference of
quench temperature and the part temperature
More space between racked components, more flow
and contact, higher the cooling rate
Pure chemistry of the quench medium the better the
quench prediction and quality
Hardenability
Surface
Core
Hardness
Distance
Hardenability-The ability of a ferrous alloy to form martensite when quenched from a temperature
above the upper Critical temperature. It describes how much hardness is obtained at various depths
below surface of a grade of steel once it has been subjected to hardening under specific conditions.
10
How to address lack of through hardening?

By increasing
the
hardenability of the
component by the use
of a steel with higher
alloy content
11
How to address lack of through hardening? (cont.)

By
increasing the
quenching speed so that
the cooling rate at the
center of the component
exceeds the critical
cooling rate. This can be
achieved, for example,
by changing from a
normal speed
quenching oil to a high
speed accelerated
quenching oil (Fig. 4) or,
if using a polymer
quenchant, by reducing
the concentration of the
solution.
12
How to address lack of through hardening? (cont.)

Quenching
speed
influences hardness
and mechanical
properties
With a normal speed oil,
hardness decreases
rapidly below the
surface due to the
formation of pearlite
and bainite
With a high speed oil,
the critical cooling rate
is exceeded to a much
greater depth below the
surface, resulting in an
improved hardness
profile
13
Summary on through hardening
Steel
composition, component section

thickness, and type of quenchant all have a
major influence on the properties obtained in
the heat-treated component.
14
The mechanism of Quenching

Regardless of the type of
quenchant being
used, cooling generally
occurs in three
distinct stages:
1.) Vapor phase
2.) Boiling phase
3.) Convection phase
15
The mechanism of Quenching (cont.)

Stage 1. Vapor Phase
Phase
Stage 2. Boiling Phase
Stage 3. Convection
16
Quenching process with normal speed quenching oil
The moment of immersion vapor

film around component (stage 1).
After 5 seconds boiling commences at

the corners of the component (stage 2).
After 10 seconds the boiling front

moves along the component.
17
Quenching process with normal speed quenching oil

(cont.)
After 15 seconds showing vapor, boiling

and convection phases.
After 30 seconds convection phase

(stage 3).
After 60 seconds completion of

convection phase.
18
Cooling curve
Fig. 8. Temperature-time cooling curve and differential cooling curve

19
Cooling curve (cont.)
Temperature-time cooling curve on CCT diagram.
The effect of agitation on the

quenching characteristics of a normal
speed oil.
20
Example: IVF Quenchotest
21
Water solutions
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
Inexpensive Nontoxic
Readily available No smoke or
fumes
Easy to handle No cleaning
required prior to tempering or
subsequent processing
No health and safety hazards
Easy to pump and filter
Nonflammable Easy to control
bath temperature by continuous
supply of fresh water
No fire hazard Not influenced by
water contamination (e.g., leaking
coolers or condensation)
Corrosive to quench tank, fixtures and

fittings
Supports microbiological growth
Poor quenching characteristics
Very fast quench
22
Temperature dependence for water solutions
The effect of temperature on the quenching

characteristics of water.
The effect of temperature on the quenching

characteristics of water.
23
Questions/Comments
24

Quenching

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Quenching

Mystery around Quenching

Oil quenching of critical aerospace components

Mystery around Quenching (cont.)

Fire Hazard during oil quenching

After conversion to Aqua-Quench polymer

treatment can be defined as an

Iron Carbon Phase Diagram

Fe-C Phase diagram (%C<=1.00)

Ferrite-BCC & Iron Carbide

Quenchants include (slowest to fastest):

Factors that influence type of the

Grade(hardenability) of the metal to be

agitation and lower quench media

How to address lack of through hardening?

How to address lack of through hardening? (cont.)

How to address lack of through hardening? (cont.)

Summary on through hardening

composition, component section

The mechanism of Quenching

The mechanism of Quenching (cont.)

Stage 2. Boiling Phase

Quenching process with normal speed quenching oil

The moment of immersion vapor

After 5 seconds boiling commences at

After 10 seconds the boiling front

Quenching process with normal speed quenching oil

After 15 seconds showing vapor, boiling

After 30 seconds convection phase

After 60 seconds completion of

Fig. 8. Temperature-time cooling curve and differential cooling curve

Cooling curve (cont.)

Temperature-time cooling curve on CCT diagram.

The effect of agitation on the

Example: IVF Quenchotest

Corrosive to quench tank, fixtures and

Temperature dependence for water solutions

The effect of temperature on the quenching

The effect of temperature on the quenching

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