Spatial Dependence of Heat Flux Transients and Wetting Behavior During Immersion Quenching of Inconel 600 Probe in Brine and Polymer Media

Cooling curve analysis of Inconel 600 probe during immersion quenching in brine and polymer quench media was carried out. Thermal histories at various axial and radial locations were recorded using a high-speed data acquisition system and were input to an inverse heat-conduction model for estimating the metal/quenchant heat flux transients. A high performance smart camera was used for online video imaging of the immersion quenching process. Solution to two-dimensional inverse heat-conduction problem clearly brings out the spatial dependence of boundary heat flux transients for a Inconel 600 probe with a simple cylindrical geometry. The estimated heat flux transients show large variation on axial as well as radial directions of quench probe surface for brine quenching. Polymer quenching showed less variation in metal/quenchant heat flux transients. Shorter durations of vapor film, higher rewetting temperatures, and faster movement of wetting front on quench probe surface were observed with brine quenching. Measurement of dynamic contact angle showed better spreading and good wettability for polymer medium as compared to brine quenchant. The solid–liquid interfacial tension between polymer medium and Inconel substrate was lower compared with that of solution. Rewetting and boiling processes were nonuniform and faster on quench probe surface during immersion quenching in brine solution. For the polymer quench medium, slow rewetting, uniform boiling and repeated wetting were observed.