Quenching & Tempering
Very common sequence of heat treatment: quenching followed by tempering
Pros
Cons
The union of quenching and tempering (called “bonifica” in Italian) is divided into 3 main phases:
- Heating metal to its austenitization temperature;
- Rapid cooling of the material (quenching) in water, polymers & water, oil or salt;
- Reheating of the metal (tempering) to modify its mechanical properties.
Common usages
The union of quenching & tempering is used to modify the mechanical features of metal, enhance its mechanical resistance as well as hardness.
