Effects of spray configuration on the uniformity of cooling rate and hardness in the quenching of aluminum parts with nonuniform shapes

The present study constitutes a step toward the understanding, and eventual optimization, of the spray quenching process for aluminum extrusions. A spray quenching test bed was constructed to simulate an industrial spray quench. This experimental facility allowed for the testing of irregular shapes using up to eight water sprays. Quenching experiments were conducted using flat water sprays in two different configurations with an L-shape testpiece constructed from commercially pure aluminum Al 1100-O. Section thickness and spray configuration were found to have a significant effect on the cooling rate and cooling uniformity. The commercially pure aluminum Al 1100-O L-shape and a similar L-shape constructed from aluminum alloy 2024-T6 were simulated with a two-dimensional finite-element code and spray correlations available from previous studies. Using the quench factor technique, the numerical simulation enabled the assessment of merits of different spray configurations with respect to the magnitude and uniformity of hardness of the 2024-T6 L-shape.