Quenching is 1) the rapid cooling from an elevated temperature to adjust the mechanical properties of its original state in a short time that is the soaking in oil or water of a metal at a high temperature followed by a rapid cooling process to obtain certain desirable material properties. The Quenching technique is commonly applied to steel objects, to which it imparts hardness; 2) severe cooling of the reaction system in a short time, almost instantaneously freezing for the status of a reaction and prevents further decomposition or reaction. (Refer to the Tempering)
Reference Definition by Wikipedia: Quenching is the rapid cooling of a workpiece to obtain certain material properties. A type of heat treating, quenching prevents undesired low-temperature processes, such as phase transformations, from occurring. It does this by reducing the window of time during which these undesired reactions are both thermodynamically favourable, and kinetically accessible; For instance, quenching can reduce the crystal grain size of both metallic and plastic materials, increasing their hardness.
Related Definitions in the Project: The Metallurgy (Corrosion and Cracking); Technology Definitions; Process Engineering
