Subject: Re: (MAGIC) Quenching Solution- Resulting hardness

From: [email-masked] (Michael G. Cooper)
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 1996 18:05:29 -0700 (MST)

What about phase change?  Doesn't the change from liquid to vapor extract
more energy than the simple thermal saturation that a given volume of liquid
allows?  If so, isn't the energy change step at phase change greater for
most saturated salt solutions (or salts, for that matter) than for pure water?
Bottom line, isn't the claimed ability of this quench really dependant on
it's ability to extract heat more quickly than water alone?
As you suggest, brine (saturated sodium chloride solution) may be just as
effective for the same reason.  However, the additional wetting agents
(soap, etc.) may improve the nucleate boiling properties of the solution,
reducing the size of the vapor bubbles that form at the surface and
hastening their detachment, promoting even better liquid contact.

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From: Tom Vincent <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 13 Jul 1996 19:14:13 -0500 (CDT)

Rob has a great ( and funny) story about how this quench came about. 
Somebody nearby should get his version, and post it. He never claimed it 
as magic. Sandia Labs had need in the old days to make some "one-off" 
tools, and the first quench is the story. This stuff is the end of the 
story. It is darn handy, nothing else I've tried, including brine, or 
peanut oil or anything else works as well for those tools you need 
quickly and not forever. I forge S-7 or H-13 for those. Rob used to say 
even the guys at Sandia couldn't figure out why it works. (Maybe they 
have by now?) You doubters mix you up a bunch and try it. If its not 
useful to you, you can dump it without filing with the EPA. Have fun Tom