Heat treatment of steel using Carboxymethyl Cellulose (CMC) as a green quenching medium: effect of concentration on microstructu

https://doi.org/10.3221/IGF-ESIS.78.02

Quenching has always been an important heat treatment that alters the mechanical and morphological properties of various types of steel. Different quenching media have been used depending on the operating conditions and desired properties, as each quenching medium affects the resulting properties and microstructure. Various types of quenching media have been used to study their effects, including oils, polymers, and water-based mixtures. In this study, an environmentally friendly, water-soluble polymer quenching medium (Carboxymethyl cellulose sodium salt (CMC)) in different concentrations was used to investigate its effect on the morphology and the mechanical properties of 1020 steel as a quenching medium in future industrial and engineering applications. 0.1% wt CMC polymer as a green quenchant enhances wear resistance despite lower hardness, confirming that microstructure and adhesive wear mechanism affect the tribological behavior rather than hardness alone.