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Since the beginning of 20 th Century, several scientific works were developed and conventional quenching process became well established into the industrial area. Nowadays new quenching process were introduced increasing mechanical properties of the heat treated components. Intensive quenching is one of these process which optimize the heat treatment process using also quenchants considered nontoxic to the environment. In this work it was made comparative studies in the SAE 5160 samples which were submitted to conventional quenching and intensive quenching. Toughness fracture were evaluated using an alternative test where are analyzed ductile fracture and brittle fracture parameters to calculate K IC. In this method tensile test are performed in pre-cracked samples. Residual stresses were also measured and although intensive quenching promoted highest compressive stresses in the surface, K IC obtained in such samples presented low values compared with conventional quenching. The presented method of analysis will bring a new parameter for production and analysis for metallic materials, particularly spring steel, where compressive stress and toughness are important as properties for suspension components.

Quenching technology represents a critically important component of heat treatment that can impact on the quality, productivity and profitability of manufacturing practice. After providing a historical context, a number of technologies that represent important advances and which point the way for future step changes in quenching technology are briefly reviewed here and include: computational fluid dynamics modelling and simulation of quench system design, gas quenching, time quenching, alternately timed quenching technology, intensive quenching, metal/quenchant interfacial characterisation methodologies, and development of nanoquenchant and vegetable oil quenchants.