Metallurgical Transformation Behavior during Quenching

Influence of stresses

After cooling austenite at a very slow

cooling rate, close to the equilibrium,
ferrite and pearlite are formed in the
temperature range between Ar3 and Ar1
temperatures (continuous line).
With fast cooling rates (dashed lines), the
diffusion controlled trans formations are
suppressed, and below the martensite
start temperature, MS, the unstressed
austenite transforms into martensite with Effect of tensile stresses on the change of relative length
an increase in specific volume. during very fast cooling compared to a slow cooling rate,
shown schematically.

If tensile stresses occur within the sample, the martensite start temperature increases from
MS to MS’ and larger changes of length occur. The opposite is true for compressive stresses.
This phenomenon is called transformation plasticity.
The volume changes of the ferritic–pearlitic transformation as well as those of the
martensitic transformation are due to the transformation of the face-centered cubic austenite
crystal lattice into the body-centered cubic ferrite lattice or the tetragonal deformed
martensite lattice. The ferritic and martensitic crystal lattices have a higher specific volume.
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 Quenching Processes
Previously it was shown that the cooling rate and the shape of the cooling curve influence
the course of phase transformations, residual stresses and distortion.
In quench hardening, fast cooling rates, depending on the chemical composition of the steel
and its section size, are frequently applied to prevent diffusion controlled transformations in
the pearlite range and to obtain a structure consisting mainly of martensite and bainite.
However, the reduction of undesirable thermal and transformational stresses due to volume
changes usually requires slower cooling rates.
Quenching processes therefore require the selection of cooling rates that are fast enough to
permit the desired micro structure to form but slow enough to minimize residual stresses
and distortion.
These considerations have resulted in different quenching methods such as
Direct quenching,
Interrupted quenching (Mar-quenching, Austempering, Isothermal Annealing)
Spray quenching,
Gas quenching
Fog quenching.
The time temperature cycles that can be obtained with different quenching methods are
shown in Figure (next page) for the center and surface of the quenched part together with
the time temperature transformation diagram.
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 Quenching Processes
Direct Quenching
Direct quenching, the most common quenching technique, refers to the quenching of the
part from the austenitizing temperature directly to room temperature by immersion into a
vaporizable liquid quenchant. Petroleum solutions or aqueous polymer solutions are often
used for this process.

Interrupted Quenching
Interrupted quenching consists of rapidly quenching steel from the austenitizing temperature
to a temperature above the MS temperature, where it is held for a time sufficient to affect the
desired transformation and then cooled in air.
Interrupted quenching comprises three different quenching techniques: mar-quenching,
Austempering, and isothermal annealing—which differ in the temperature at which
quenching is interrupted and the time for which the steel is held at this temperature. The
quenchants usually used for interrupted quenching are molten salt baths and specialty oils
such as mar-tempering oils.
Mar-quenching consists in rapidly quenching the steel to a temperature just above the MS
temperature, holding it at this temperature to equalize the temperature throughout the work
piece, and then removing it from the bath before transformation into bainite begins.
Austempering is similar to mar-quenching in that the steel is rapidly quenched from the
austenitizing temperature to a temperature above MS but differs in that the work piece is
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held at temperature for sufficient time to allow an isothermal transformation into bainite.
 Quenching Processes
Isothermal annealing, differs from mar-quenching and austempering in that the bath
temperature is sufficiently high that isothermal transformation into pearlite occurs. Pearlite
exhibits high toughness and sufficient strength to be the optimal structure for parts such as
wires or cables and railroad rails.

Cooling curves for the center and the surface of quenched parts for different quenching methods correlated
to a time–temperature transformation schematic diagram. (a) Direct quenching; (b) mar-quenching; 208
(c)
austempering; (d) isothermal annealing or pearlitizing.
 Quenching Processes
Spray Quenching
Spray quenching with a liquid quenchant, generally water or an aqueous polymer solution,
at sufficiently high pressures on the surface of the workpiece produces fast cooling rates
because the liquid droplets impact the surface and cause a high rate of heat transfer.
The rate of heat extraction can be varied over a wide range by varying the quantity of the
sprayed liquid or by spraying a mixture of water and air (fog quenching). Compared to
immersion quenching, spray quenching allows better control in cooling the workpiece.
Gas Quenching
In gas quenching, heat removal is achieved by blowing a stream of gas over the workpiece,
sometimes after austenitizing it in a vacuum furnace. Usually, the cooling rate is faster than
that obtained in still air but slower than that achieved in oil and is controlled by the type,
pressure, and velocity of the cooling gas. Inert gases including helium, argon, and nitrogen
are most commonly used.

Fog Quenching
The fog-quenching is very profitable for quenching of cast or forged steel pieces, because it
can control the cooling rate in a wide range, and make uniform cooling at various sections
of a material with complicated shape by controlling the flow rates of water and compressed
air.
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 Wetting Kinematics
During quenching in liquid media with boiling temperatures far below the initial
temperature of the body , three stages of heat removal occur. These are referred to as
1. The film boiling or vapour blanket stage,
2. The nucleate boiling stage, or Vapour-transport cooling stage
3. The convection stage.

Vapor-blanket cooling stage

In this stage, quenching medium is vaporized at the surface of the metal and forms a thin
stable layer.
Cooling is by conduction and radiation.
Cooling rate is relatively slow

Vapor-transport cooling stage

This stage starts when the metal has cooled to a temperature at which the vapor film is no
longer stable.
Wetting of the metal surface by the quenching medium and violent boiling occur. Heat is
removed from the metal very rapidly as the latent heat of vaporization. This is the fastest
stage of cooling.
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 Wetting Kinematics
Liquid cooling stage

This stage starts when the surface temperature of the metal reaches the boiling point of the
quenching liquid .
Vapor no longer forms, so cooling is by conduction and convection through the liquid. The
rate of cooling is slowest in this stage.

Some typical examples of the wetting sequences on steel and silver samples quenched in
water, oil, and aqueous polymer solutions are depicted in following figures.

(a)

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4.3s 8.3s 12.3s
 (b)

(c) 4s 7s 10s

Wetting process on the surface of CrNi

steel specimens quenched from 850°C
into water and oil. (a) Cylinder (25-mm
diameter × 100mm) in water at 30°C
flowing at 0.3 m/s; (b) cylinder (25-mm
diameter × 100 mm) in oil at 60°C
flowing at 0.3 m/s; (c) prismatic
cylinder (15 × 15 × 45mm) in water at
60°C without forced convection.

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3.8s 5.7s 6.9s