Study of the Effect of Intensity of Vibrations and Temperature on the Cooling Characteristics of Quenching Media

Abstract

Quenching technology requires the use of media with different cooling intensities and various shapes of cooling curves that show different particularities compared to that of conventional media such as water, oil, or emulsions. The use of synthetic quenching media is relatively new and also has multiple advantages such as non-flammability, safety in use and low cost. In this study, the cooling media tested was obtained by mixing 2 wt% carboxymethyl cellulose with 2 wt% NaOH in one litter of water. Moreover, three different temperatures (20°C, 40°C and 60°C) of the quenching media were evaluated. By dissolution in water, a synthetic solution with low viscosity, surfactant and lubricant was obtained. Because carboxymethyl cellulose is a biodegradable organic material, that is obtained as a by-product in the manufacture of paper, a basic substance with a preservative effect was added. According to this study, both the variation diagram of the heat transfer coefficient and the diagram of the cooling rates, during the cooling stages give important indications regarding the use of a liquid cooling medium for quenching.

Keywords

• quenching media
• synthetic cooling media
• vibrations
• heat treatments
• carboxymethyl cellulose