Basics of Quench Process Hardening of Powder Materials and Irons in Liquid Media

Abstract

In the paper fundamentals of steel parts quench process in liquid media are considered which are used for designing new technologies such as intensive quenching that results in obtaining fine and nano – bainitic microstructure. These fundamentals include French law of transient nucleate boiling establishing during quenching in liquid media, law of transient nucleate boiling duration, when film boiling is absent, and self – regulated thermal process. Based on listed fundamentals, new versions of intensive austemering processes via cold liquid media are proposed. That allows obtaining fine bainitic microstructure in hardened materaials. Examples of performing austempering processes via cold liquid are provided by author of the paper. The proposed new method of quenching is combined with the martensite transformation which may appear in supercooled austenite in amount of less than 50%. Ideas of the paper can be used by engineers and scientists dealing with materials designing and heat treatment processes.