Quenching process

Process for examining the solidification morphology.

An alloy structure depends on the cooling conditions. In general, the structure is finer with fast cooling than with slow cooling. In this process, alloy samples are quenched during solidification and evaluated metallographically.

The structure part which had been growing until the quenching process can be separated from the “quenching structure” which had been growing quicker. This way, the quenching process delivers a very clear image of alloy solidification. This applies also on the contrary to outfeed processes for endogenoussolidification types. This process has the substantial advantage that it makes the structure of solidifying crystals visible and that quantitative statements are possible. In addition to form, size and distribution, the surface rate (and the volume fraction, accordingly) of the growing solid phase can be determined (according to S. Engler, P. Reisener).