High pressure instantaneously uniform quench to control part properties
AssigneeIntegrated Heat Treating Solutions, LLC
InventorJoseph A. POWELL
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process for reducing film boiling by keeping the quenchant pressure above the vapor pressure of the liquid quenchant, and/or using a controlled quenchant renewal to more uniformly cool the surface of part at the initial moment of contact and apparatuses to conduct the pressure and controlled quenchant renewal are disclosed. It is believed that these processes will improve the heat treating of parts with intricate geometries to provide predictable part distortion. The applicability of the method to gun barrels, tubes, round rings, and hollow axles is explained.
Claims21
A process for quenching at least a portion of a hot metal part comprised of a Martensitic metal composition having a surface area, a surface temperature, and a critical cooling rate, comprising the steps of:
- a. contacting at least a portion of the surface area at an initial moment of contact with an aqueous quenchant wherein the aqueous quenchant contacts the portion of the surface area at an impact pressure greater than an aqueous quenchant pressure corresponding to a vapor pressure of the aqueous quenchant at the surface temperature of the portion of the surface area;
- and
- b. renewing the aqueous quenchant at the surface of the metal part.
(canceled)
A process for quenching at least a portion of a hot metal part comprised of a Martensitic metal composition having a part surface, a surface area, a surface temperature, and a critical cooling rate;
- comprises using a quench apparatus to accomplish the steps of:
- a. contacting at least a portion of the hot metal part with a quenchant, and
- b. renewing at least a portion of the quenchant using a controlled quenchant renewal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.