Quenching vs. Tempering

Quenchingnoun

(physics) The extinction of any of several physical properties.

Quenchingnoun

(metallurgy) The rapid cooling of a hot metal object, by placing it in a liquid, in order to harden it.

Quenchingnoun

the act of extinguishing; causing to stop burning;

Quenching

In materials science, quenching is the rapid cooling of a workpiece in water, oil or air to obtain certain material properties. A type of heat treating, quenching prevents undesired low-temperature processes, such as phase transformations, from occurring.

Temperingnoun

The act by which something is tempered.

Temperingnoun

The process of giving the requisite degree of hardness or softness to a substance, as iron and steel; especially, the process of giving to steel the degree of hardness required for various purposes, consisting usually in first plunging the article, when heated to redness, in cold water or other liquid, to give an excess of hardness, and then reheating it gradually until the hardness is reduced or drawn down to the degree required, as indicated by the color produced on a polished portion, or by the burning of oil.

Temperingnoun

hardening something by heat treatment

Temperingadjective

moderating by making more temperate