Quench Factor Analysis To Quantify Steel Quench Severity And Its Successful Use In Steel Hardness Prediction

Although quench factor analysis has been used by many researchers in predicting the performance of a quenchant to strengthen aluminum, it has rarely been applied to steel quenching. However, quench factor analysis posses a number of advantages over current empirical methods or more recently employed finite element thermophysical property modeling. For example, quench factor analysis can address the non-Newtonian cooling process involved with many processes utilizing vaporizable quenchants. Quench factor analysis predictions of as-quenched hardness can be successfully performed with an Excel Spreadsheet calculation. Finally, quench factors can be easily utilized in constructing databases for quenchant characterization and selection. This paper will provide an overview of the use of quench factor characterization of quenching media for AISI 1045 and 4140 steels and the successful development and use of an Excel Spreadsheet based program for performing these calculations and successful database development.