Go to Navigation Go to Content

What is quench and tempered steel?

Quenching and tempering are processes that strengthen materials like steel and other iron-based alloys. These processes strengthen the alloys through heating the material while simultaneously cooling in water, oil, forced air, or gases such as nitrogen.

Alloy Q&T Steel Bar Process

Sometimes known as quenching or quench hardening, Eaton Steel thermally heats the material above the critical (austenitic) temperature (1575F+) and quenching the steel bars in a liquid medium such as water or oil, so rapidly that the change from austenite to pearlite is suppressed; this is called martensite and is responsible for the hardness of the quenched steel. Martensite is a changeable microstructure and the material may then be tempered at various lower temperatures to the desired mechanical properties (hardness) producing specific physical properties.

quench and temepered steelEaton Steel Capabilities

  • 1" through 12" diameter rounds
  • 10' through 24' lengths

Benefits of Quench & Tempered Steel Bars

  • In-line Eaton Steel process eliminates need for post heat treat straightening and stress relieve
  • Consistent mechanical properties
  • Tougher
  • Less brittle
  • Increased strength
  • Eliminates Q&T finished parts and the distortion caused due to non-symmetrical shapesÂ