Professional Support Services Oil Quenching（油淬火专业支持服务）.pdfVIP

The HERRING GROUP, Inc. Professional Support Services Oil Quenching by Daniel H. Herring “The Heat Treat Doctor”® © 2010 The HERRING GROUP, Inc. This is the twentieth in a series of articles about Vacuum Heat Treatment. Here we discuss oil quenching in vacuum furnaces a technology that has been used for over 50 years and has both broad appeal and some very unique characteristics. Why Oil Quenching? Many components use oil quenching to achieve consistent and repeatable mechanical and metallurgical properties and predictable distortion patterns. The reason oil quenching is so popular is due to its excellent performance results and stability over a broad range of operating conditions. Oil quenching facilitates hardening of steel by controlling heat transfer during quenching, and it enhances wetting of steel during quenching to minimize the formation of undesirable thermal and transformational gradients which may lead to increased distortion and cracking. For many, the choice of oil is the result of an evaluation of a number of factors including [1]: • Economics/cost (initial investment, maintenance, upkeep, life) • Performance (cooling rate/quench severity) • Minimization of distortion (quench system) • Variability (controllable cooling rates) • Environnemental concerns (recycling, waste disposal, etc.) Oil Quenching in Vacuum Oil quench vacuum systems offer an attractive alternative to other technologies given their ability to control the various quench variables. In addition, one can vary and control the pressure over the oil. This technique can extend the range of part cross-sections and materials that can be processed. In addition, the use of