Optimization of Process Parameters for Temperature Distribution during Water Quenched Process

Wide application and versatility of steel have resulted in the need to improve its mechanical properties at desired temperature and microstructure to achieve production goal and reliable service performance. Quenching, a method of improving mechanical properties of steel, is characterized with reworking and induced thermal stresses leading to defective product. This could be caused by low temperature was distributed in the steel sample to effect the desired mechanical property. This paper is aimed at rectifying this anomaly by investigating the synergetic effect of operating variables (quenching time, radial distance and immersion speed) on temperature distribution in the quenched steel using Box-Behnken design of Response Surface Methodology (RSM). Results of the investigation show the significant terms to temperature distribution with quenching time having the most influential effect on the model development. The temperature distribution of 37.24°C was obtained at optimum condition for the parameters at 100 seconds, 15 mm radial distance and immersion speed of 0.10 m/s. The coefficient of correlation (R2) obtained for water quenched gave 0.9999, Adjusted R2 of 0.99983 and adequate precision of 43.356 respectively. This indicated a good agreement between the laboratory experiment and model developed for temperature distribution.