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Machinery Repairman

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cases. A wide variety of quenching oils may be used,<br />

including animal oils, fish oils, vegetable oils, and<br />

mineral oils. Oils have a slower cooling rate than brine<br />

or water but a faster cooling rate than air or solid<br />

materials. Quenching oils are usually used in the<br />

temperature range of 120° to 150°F.<br />

The chief danger involved in quenching with oil is<br />

that a hot metal piece may raise the temperature of the<br />

oil to the flash point and cause it to burst into flames. A<br />

cover should always be kept near a quenching tank that<br />

is used for oil. If the oil flashes into flames, put the cover<br />

over the tank immediately to smother the fire.<br />

Some water usually collects in the bottom of the oil<br />

tank. The water does no harm if only a small amount is<br />

present. If enough water is present that the work extends<br />

into the water, the rapid quenching action of the water<br />

may cause the piece to crack<br />

CAUSTIC SODA in water is used for some steels<br />

that require rapid quenching. A lo-percent caustic soda<br />

solution quenches faster than water, but slower than<br />

brine. Nonferrous metals are not quenched in caustic<br />

soda solutions.<br />

Figure 15-11.—Iron-carbon phase diagram.<br />

15-12<br />

AIR is used for cooling some high-alloy steels and<br />

some nonferrous metals. Both still air and circulating<br />

air are used. For either method the work pieces are<br />

placed on racks or other suitable containers so all parts<br />

are uniformly exposed. Air is often circulated by<br />

electric fans arranged to provide uniform cooling.<br />

Compressed air is sometimes used to concentrate the<br />

cooling on particular areas. Compressed air used for this<br />

purpose must be entirely free of moisture. Any moisture<br />

in the air produces rapid quenching wherever it touches<br />

the metal and may cause cracking or hard spots.<br />

MOLTEN LEAD at temperatures ranging from<br />

650° to 1,100°F is often used as a first-stage quench for<br />

high-speed steels. A common practice is to quench<br />

high-speed steel in molten lead as soon as the work is<br />

removed from the furnace and to follow this quench by<br />

cooling the part in still air to about 200°F before<br />

tempering. Molten lead is not used as a quenching<br />

medium for nonferrous metals.<br />

MOLTEN SALT at temperatures ranging from 300°<br />

to 1,000°F is sometimes used as a quenching medium

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