quenching medium
A quenching medium is the material used to cool hot metals. To change the mechanical properties of heated metals, they are cooled fast. It can harden metals by controlling the rate of cooling. It can be water, oil, or brine.
Key Features:
- Rate of cooling: Different mediums yield different rates of cooling; hence, different hardness and toughness in the metal.
- Material suitability: The type of metal and hardness required determine the quenching medium.
- Surface finish effect: Certain media such as oil reduce distortion and cracks on the surface of metals when compared to water.
The basic idea of Quenching Medium is to bring the metal to the required hardness and mechanical values. This is in operation in almost all modern heat treatment processes in automotive, aerospace, and tool-making industries. Quenching technology progress has resulted in a quality improvement of metals and lessened environmental footprint.