The Effect of Contamination on Cooling Curve Behavior of Polymer Quenchants

In induction hardening, contamination is a common occurrence. Many parts are processed per hour, with each part carrying a small amount of contaminant. The contaminant could be cleaners, coolants, or machine swarf. Contamination is compounded by the fact that many induction systems have a very small quench tank – often 100-200 gallons. The common question is, at what point does contamination affect the cooling curve or heat extraction behavior of the quenchant? The purpose of this paper is to examine common contaminants and their effects on cooling curve behavior.