Traditionally, water, animal fats and fish oils have been used for quenching. Modern methods now include mineral oils (neat), polymers and natural/synthetic esters.
What is the purpose of quenching oil?
Quench oil serves two primary functions. It facilitates hardening of steel by controlling heat transfer during quenching, and it enhances wetting of steel during quenching to minimize the formation of undesirable thermal and transformational gradients which may lead to increased distortion and cracking.
What oil should you use for quenching?
There are many food-grade quenching oil options available to use for blacksmithing. Among these options are vegetable, peanut, and avocado oil. Some commonly used vegetable oils are canola, olive, and palm kernel oil. Vegetable oil is very cheap and comes from renewable sources.Mar 28, 2020
Why is quenching in oil better than water?
Oil is preferable to the traditional quenching medium of water because it reduces the risks of distortions or cracking by cooling metals more evenly and more quickly.
What does quenching in oil do to steel?
Basics of Oil Quenching and Quenching Oil Types. The quenching process is a crucial step in the heat treatment of metals. It's a process of rapidly cooling a piece of metal in order to achieve or modify specific properties like hardness, strength, or toughness.
Is vegetable oil good for steel?
YES . it will keep the air and water from rusting the surface metal. You'll probably have to wipe it down after each or every other use, as this oil is very thin and will wear off more easily that say an application of grease. But yes vegetable oil keeps the air off the metal that has the oxygen in it that starts rust.