An experiment on the application of a polymeric quenchant instead of oil for large steel billets

See adjacent abstract. The main purposes of synthetic quenching medium (SQM) application are the elimination of deficient mineral oils and toxic waste from the production process, reduction of fire hazards, and upgrading of public health conditions in the workplace. Besides, the use of the SQM provides possibilities for controlling the quenching process. The SQM proposed presents an aqueous solution of technical lignosulfonates, which are by- products of the paper-and-pulp industry. The characteristic feature of SQMs is their cooling ability dependence on the polymer concentration in the aqueous solution. The disadvantages of the medium studied include, in the first place, its overheating sensitivity: at temperatures over 80 deg C it is able to became foamy like boiling milk, sharply expand its volume, and "overflow".