Basic Principals, Properties and Metallurgy of Intensive Quenching 2002-01-1338

Intensive quenching, known as IntensiQuench^SM, is an alternative way of hardening steel parts developed by Dr. Kobasko of the Ukraine. It provides steel products with superior mechanical properties, creates high residual compressive stresses on the part surface, allows the use of lower alloy steels; reduces or eliminates the need for carburization and shot peening; and makes the quenching process more cost-effective. In addition, IntensiQuench^SM is clean and environmentally friendly method since it uses plain water or water with a low concentration of salt as the quenchant (in contrast to traditional heat treatment practices that use usually hazardous, environmentally unfriendly quench oil). In this paper, we discuss major principles of intensive quenching phenomenon: mechanism of the formation of residual surface compressive stresses, optimum hardened depth, peculiarity of the formed martensite. We also consider specific boundary conditions on the part surface that are required to realize an intensive quenching process and different types of intensive quenching techniques: IQ-2 process based on using nucleate boiling mode of heat transfer following by convection heat transfer and IQ-3 method that is a direct convection cooling.