Technical Paper
Basic Principals, Properties and Metallurgy of Intensive Quenching
2002-03-19
2002-01-1338
Intensive quenching, known as IntensiQuenchSM, 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, IntensiQuenchSM 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.