The Effect of Quenching Media on the Hardness of Low Carbon Steel

Abstract

Steels with desired properties are essential and always required by many industries. This paper highlights some heat treatment operations with various cooling media to achieve different rapid cooling rates. This was carried out by heating samples of low carbon steel to a specific temperature and then cooling them rapidly in 8 different quenching media in order to obtain a specific microstructure of steel. These heat-treated samples were then tested mechanically using the Brinell hardness test (BH). The results show that the quenching mediums affect the mechanical properties and hence the microstructures of low carbon steels and the effect varies depending on the types of quanchants employed.