Quench Hardening

Quench hardening is a process in which steel and cast iron alloys are heated above a certain critical temperature and rapidly cooled to produce a hardened structure.  Either surface hardening or through-hardening can result, depending on the cooling rate.

Process Characteristics

Can be used on ferrous metals and alloys
Involves the heating and then the quenching of the workpiece
Is often followed by tempering to reduce brittleness
Causes microstructural changes in the workpiece
Requires close control of temperature during heating and quenching

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Information provided is from Manufacturing Processes Reference Guide by Robert H. Todd, Dell K. Allen, and Leo Alting.--1st ed. Published by Industrial Press Inc., 1994.