QuenchingQuenching is the rapid cooling of a material or component from a high temperature. It is usually done in water, brine, or oil depending on the severity of quench required. Quenching is done as part of a heat treatment process to improve the mechanical properties of a material or component. For steels the quenching is done to harden the material prior to partially softening it again, and for other alloys it is done to soften the material prior to controlled hardening. Clearly, understanding quenching is rather complicated, and its effect varies depending on the type of alloy and its composition. It is important to understanding how the quenching process works as well as the metallurgical effects it produces for different alloys, and the changes these effects have on the mechanical properties of the quenched material.
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