The Effects of Quenching Media on The Effects of Quenching Media on Aluminum and SteelAluminum and Steel

Orin Hall, Joe Anderson, Jacob Fleming, Joe KoperniakOrin Hall, Joe Anderson, Jacob Fleming, Joe KoperniakME306 A1ME306 A1

Spring 2009Spring 2009

Purpose of Project: Purpose of Project: The ObjectiveThe Objective

To make educated predictions on the To make educated predictions on the effects of quenching media on mechanical effects of quenching media on mechanical properties of aluminum and steel alloys.properties of aluminum and steel alloys.

Specifically: How does quenching with Specifically: How does quenching with various media affect tensile strength, grain various media affect tensile strength, grain size and orientation, impact energy, and size and orientation, impact energy, and Rockwell Hardness?Rockwell Hardness?

The Theory of QuenchingThe Theory of Quenching Quenching is a Quenching is a

temperature-dependant temperature-dependant hardening technique.hardening technique.

To quench a material, you To quench a material, you heat it to a certain heat it to a certain temperature - dependant on temperature - dependant on the material used, then the material used, then rapidly cool it.rapidly cool it.

The cooling process is too The cooling process is too fast for conventional fast for conventional transformation.transformation.

This process makes the This process makes the material much harder and material much harder and also more brittle.also more brittle.

Materials UtilizedMaterials Utilized

Aluminum 6061Aluminum 6061 10 samples10 samples

Steel 1050Steel 1050 5 samples5 samples

Steel 1045Steel 1045 5 samples5 samples

Experimental MethodExperimental Method

Heating samples in a Heating samples in a furnacefurnace

775 degrees 775 degrees Fahrenheit for Fahrenheit for Aluminum samplesAluminum samples

915 degrees Celsius 915 degrees Celsius for Steel samplesfor Steel samples

The FIVEThe FIVE OilOil

WaterWater

BrineBrine

AirAir

Turbulent AirTurbulent Air

The Hypothesis:The Hypothesis:What Should HappenWhat Should Happen

Tensile Strength: should Tensile Strength: should increaseincrease Rockwell hardness: should Rockwell hardness: should increaseincrease Impact Energy: should Impact Energy: should decrease*decrease* Grain Size/Orientation:Grain Size/Orientation: Will probably see more drastic results for Will probably see more drastic results for

Steel than AluminumSteel than Aluminum**the quenching process makes materials stronger which could the quenching process makes materials stronger which could

increase impact energy but it also makes them more brittle which increase impact energy but it also makes them more brittle which would decrease impact energy.would decrease impact energy.

Stress vs. Strain: Aluminum SamplesStress vs. Strain: Aluminum Samples

Stress vs. Strain Results: Steel SamplesStress vs. Strain Results: Steel Samples

Charpy Impact Test ResultsCharpy Impact Test Results

According to our results for the According to our results for the Charpy Impact Test, the Charpy Impact Test, the fracture energy for Steel was fracture energy for Steel was highesthighest in the in the waterwater and and brinebrine quenched samples. The quenched samples. The opposite opposite was true for our was true for our Aluminum samples. Fracture Aluminum samples. Fracture energy was lowest for these energy was lowest for these two quenching media, with two quenching media, with airair and and air with turbulenceair with turbulence leading the pack in causing the leading the pack in causing the greatest fracture energy greatest fracture energy required.required.

Rockwell Hardness Test Rockwell Hardness Test ResultsResults

According to our results for the According to our results for the Rockwell Hardness Test, Rockwell Hardness Test, brinebrine and and waterwater quenching quenching caused samples to caused samples to dramaticallydramatically i increasencrease the the hardness of the Steel samples. hardness of the Steel samples. For the Aluminum samples, For the Aluminum samples, there was there was notnot a significant a significant amount of change in hardness amount of change in hardness of any particular sample due to of any particular sample due to quenching method.quenching method.

Optical Microscopy: Steel SamplesOptical Microscopy: Steel Samples

Quenched in Air (800x) Quenched with Fan (800x)

Quenched in Oil (500x)

Quenched in Brine (500x) Quenched in Water (500x)

Optical Microscopy: Aluminum SamplesOptical Microscopy: Aluminum Samples

Quenched in Air (100x) Quenched in Brine (200x)

Quenched with Fan (500x)

Quenched in Oil (200x) Quenched in Water (200x)

Possible Sources of ErrorPossible Sources of Error Imperfections in the Imperfections in the

samplessamples Surface imperfectionsSurface imperfections Deformation of tensile test Deformation of tensile test

samples.samples. Non-uniformity of heating Non-uniformity of heating

timetime Non-uniformity of Non-uniformity of

quenching timequenching time Time taken to remove Time taken to remove

samples from furnace samples from furnace and place them in and place them in quenching mediumquenching medium

ConclusionConclusion Generally, quenching increased yield stress, but also Generally, quenching increased yield stress, but also

increased brittle quality of samples.increased brittle quality of samples. It increased impact energy in most case sand led to a It increased impact energy in most case sand led to a

higher Rockwell Hardness.higher Rockwell Hardness. Water and brine quenched steel had largest increased Water and brine quenched steel had largest increased

impact energy and Rockwell Hardness.impact energy and Rockwell Hardness. Water and brine quenched aluminum were not really Water and brine quenched aluminum were not really

affected in hardness but greatly reduced in impact energy.affected in hardness but greatly reduced in impact energy. As expected, the Steel samples showed more of a reaction As expected, the Steel samples showed more of a reaction

to quenching that the Aluminum samples.to quenching that the Aluminum samples.

ReferencesReferences All images obtained from Google Image SearchAll images obtained from Google Image Search On-line sources:On-line sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quenchhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quench http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/cme/pdfs/MATE357-http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/cme/pdfs/MATE357-

JominyLab.pdfJominyLab.pdf http://www.kastenmarine.com/alumVSsteel.htmhttp://www.kastenmarine.com/alumVSsteel.htm http://www.croucher.us/watrqnching.htmhttp://www.croucher.us/watrqnching.htm http://www.2nd-hardener.com/quench-steel.htmhttp://www.2nd-hardener.com/quench-steel.htm http://www.rcdc.nd.edu/compilations/Quench/intro.htmhttp://www.rcdc.nd.edu/compilations/Quench/intro.htm http://app.end.ubu.ac.th/~edocs/f20061122Suriya87.pdfhttp://app.end.ubu.ac.th/~edocs/f20061122Suriya87.pdf http://www.staff.ncl.ac.uk/s.j.bull/mmm211/STEEL/sld0http://www.staff.ncl.ac.uk/s.j.bull/mmm211/STEEL/sld0

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