Title: Understanding of polymer quenchant (polyalkylene glycol) characteristic during quenching process of tool steels

Authors: Mert Onan; H. ?brahim Ünal; Cenk Onan; ?. Hakan Atapek

Addresses: Faculty of Engineering, Department of Metallurgical and Material Engineering, Kocaeli University, Umuttepe Campus, Kocaeli 41380, Turkey ' Faculty of Engineering, Department of Metallurgical and Material Engineering, Kocaeli University, Umuttepe Campus, Kocaeli 41380, Turkey ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, Y?ld?z Technical University, Besiktas, Istanbul 34349, Turkey ' Faculty of Engineering, Department of Metallurgical and Material Engineering, Kocaeli University, Umuttepe Campus, Kocaeli 41380, Turkey

Abstract: The polymer quenchants minimise the cooling rate, so that the possibility of distortion and cracking is reduced. This study focuses on the effects of air and polyalkylene glycol (PAG) on the cooling characteristics of 1.2379 and 1.2080 tool steels. In quenching, different concentrations (10%/20%/30%) of PAG were used. The effect of cooling characteristic of PAG was observed using a digital image processing during the experiments and the curves indicating the cooling gradient of the tool steels as a function of time were plotted. The microstructural analysis of tool steels was carried out using light microscopy (LM). It was concluded that: i) as the PAG percentage increased, the full cooling time of tool steels increased; ii) 1.2080 tool steel having Mo and V had higher amount of carbides than those of 1.2379 tool steel; iii) the both tool steels quenched in 30% PAG exhibited coarser carbides than cooled in air.

Keywords: cold work tool steel; heat treatment; polymer quenchants; PAG; polyalkylene glycol; quenching process; cooling rate; microstructure; carbides.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMMP.2014.061049

International Journal of Microstructure and Materials Properties, 2014 Vol.9 No.1, pp.71 - 78

Published online: 30 Apr 2015 *

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