Quenching & Tempering

Quenching & Tempering

Quenching and Tempering is an important process improving the mechanical properties of the material. The oil and gas drilling industry has for years used quench and temper steel tubulars in the production of oil and gas.

Quenching

The quench process starts with heating the steel to a critical temperature at which the solid phase transforms from ferrite to austenite. The steel is then rapidly cooled (quenched) to create a grain structure known as martensite. Martensite is the high strength structure of steel but the material is often too brittle for practical use in this condition.

Tempering

Temper is a secondary heat treatment process where the material is heated to a controlled temperature throughout and then air cooled. Careful selection of the temperature used results in a structure change that reduces the brittleness of the steel while maintaining enhanced levels of strength and toughness.