HEAT TREATING

Vacuum Oil
Quenching:
Applications and
Unique Properties
Philippe Lebigot Tenova HTC Division: BMI Fours Industriels;
Saint Quentin Fallavier, FRANCE

Fig. 6. Example of a flexible vacuum

processing cell including oilquenching furnace

Hardening of steel is a major operation in heat treatment. Originally performed

in aqueous solution, the nature of the quenching media influences the final
steel characteristics and thus allows for optimization of the hardness, the
microstructure and also the deformation of the treated parts.

Quench Oil Problems

Like in any hardening process, the purpose of oil quenching is
to transform an austenitic phase into a martensitic structure by
imposing a rapid cooling in order to achieve the desired hardness
values.
Depending on the steel grades and cooling profiles, it is
possible to achieve several different structures (Fig. 1). When
the austenitized parts are plunged into the oil, several successive
cooling phases exist (Fig. 2).
Vapor phase: Oil in contact with the part will rise in
temperature by conduction and thus will produce moderate
cooling.
Boiling phase: Because of the heat effect, the oil transforms
into vapor phase. This will lead to fastest cooling due to
the absorption of the latent heat of vaporization. This is the
most decisive phase of the tempering/hardening operation
but also the most difficult to control. The formation of a
vapor sheath around the part can cause excessive insulation,
thereby reducing cooling-speed efficiency.
Convection phase: When the temperature becomes lower
and thus insufficient, the vapor phase disappears. The
convection of the oil can then finish the cooling to the
equilibrium temperature.
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The adequacy of these theoretical curves ensures the success

of the operation. This vision is, of course, simplistic. Indeed, the
cooling of the part is never uniform because of different section
thicknesses of the part itself. These cooling heterogeneities
minor or important will lead to martensitic transformations at
different times during the quenching phase. The crossing of the
Ms point at a different time can generate abrupt part expansion
and cause distortions inherent in the quenching operation.
The increased cooling speed will lead to a higher temperature
Ac3

800

Ac1 700

Austenite + Ferrite
Austenite + Perlite

600
Temperature, C

epending on the steel grades and desired results, for

quenching the industry turned to either oil, salt bath or
(in recent years) pressurized inert gas with the growing
use of vacuum furnaces.
This paper will not detail the mechanisms of hardening. It
will, however, describe the potential of oil quenching performed
in a vacuum furnace in comparison to conventional oil
quenching and high-pressure gas quenching of 20 bar.

500

Ms

300
Mf

Ferrite + Perlite

Austenite + Bainite

400

Austenite + Martensite

200
100

A
1

B
10

103
102
Time, seconds

C
104

Fig. 1. Example of a CCT (continuous cooling transformation) diagram

of low-alloy steel. Microstructure depends on cooling speed. Area A
is predominantly a martensitic structure, typically the objective. B is
a mixed structure martensitic/bainitic, which is targeted if a higher
resilience (with resulting lower hardness) is desired. C has a structure
quite similar to equilibrium with hardening not being achieved.

Vapor

Boiling
Convection

800

Fusion

700

Solidification
Pressure

Temperature, C

600
500
400
300

Liquid

Critical
point

Solid
Evaporation
Solidification

Steam

200
100
0

Sublimation
0

8
10
12
Time, seconds

14

16

18

20

Fig. 2. Type of cooling-oil quenching profile. Various thermal-exchange

phases influence cooling speed.

gradient in the part. It is thus recommended to adjust the speed

to the optimum value.
Proper adjustment of quenching parameters allows
mechanical characteristics to be achieved, distortions to be
reduced and acceptable geometric criteria to be obtained. If the
gas quenching method reduces distortion by slowing the cooling
speed, it is not efficient for low-alloy steel and massive parts
because core hardness is difficult to achieve.

Condensation C

Triple point
Temperature

Fig. 3. Example of phase diagrams for a pure substance. Equivalent

diagrams are not available for quenching oils, which nevertheless follow
the same trends.

partial pressure of active gas allows the possibility of carburizing

or carbonitriding at low pressure and higher temperature, which
reduces cycle time.

Advantages During Heating

The heating takes place in a vacuum furnace, which allows
surface protection by the total absence of oxidation or
decarburization. The easy management of partial gas pressure
further expands the possibilities. Partial pressure of inert gas
(nitrogen, argon) limits alloying-element sublimation. Also,

Cooling Control
As the transfer of the charge is taking place under vacuum or
inert-gas protection after we vacuum purge the furnace, the part
surface is always protected until it is completely immersed into
the oil. Surface protection is very similar whether quenching in
oil or gas.
The major advantage compared to conventional atmospheric
oil-quenching solutions is the precise control of cooling
parameters. With a vacuum furnace, it is possible to modify the
standard quenching parameters temperature and agitation
and to also modify the pressure above the quenching tank.
Modifying the pressure above the tank will induce a
difference in pressure inside the oil bath, which changes the
oil-cooling efficiency curve defined at atmospheric pressure.
Indeed, the boiling zone is the phase during which the cooling
speed is the highest. The change in oil pressure will modify its
vaporization due to the heat of the load (Fig. 3).

Fig. 4. Example of a dense load of gears

Fig. 5. Example of a mixed load of gears of various mass

Advantages of Vacuum Oil Quenching

Vacuum heat treatment has become more common over the last
20 years. However, it is generally associated with pressurized
inert cooling gas. Vacuum oil quenching remains marginal, but
it presents interesting advantages for the industry.

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HEAT TREATING

The reduction of pressure will activate the vaporization

phenomena, which initiates the boiling phase. This will increase
the cooling efficiency of quenching fluid and improve hardening
capacity versus atmospheric condition. However, the massive
generation of steam can cause sheath phenomenon and incurs
potential deformation.
The increase of pressure in the oil inhibits the vapor
formation and retards evaporation. The sheath sticks to the
part and cools down more uniformly but less drastically. Oil
quenching in vacuum is therefore more uniform and incurs less
distortion.
The control of oil pressure combined with the choice of its
initial cooling specification, its temperature and its mode of
agitation gives the user additional leverage to optimize the
conditions for hardening, and it increases his capabilities to find
the right compromise between speed and homogeneity and,
therefore, between hardness and deformation.
Compared to a high-pressure gas quenching (HPGQ )
treatment usually used in vacuum or low-pressure furnaces,
the high cooling efficiency of oil offers a warranty and a safety
margin, especially with large-section parts or parts from lowhardenability steel. For these applications, the vacuum is no
longer an obstacle thanks to the quenching oil.
Experience shows that the accurate control of quenching
conditions, including the oil-pressure adjustment, can result
in deformation similar or better than can be achieved in gas
quenching with much higher charge densities (Fig. 4) and mixed
charges with fixtures and baskets (Fig. 5).
Low Costs of Maintenance and Consumables
The total absence of oxygen during quenching not only protects
the parts but also the oil from oxidation. The hardening
operation does not generate combustion of the oil as is the
case in conventional oil hardening, even under controlled
atmosphere.
As a result, oil aging is only limited to thermal cycling.

Convection

The characteristics of the oil, mainly its cooling efficiency and

viscosity, remain extremely stable over time, which improves
reproducibility of results and reduces needed controls.
Oil vapor produced during quenching is condensed on the
inner walls of the furnace, mainly in a water-cooled condenser
designed for this purpose. Thus, the oil returns directly to the
bath. Renewal is required only occasionally and partially, only to
complement consumption due to the retention by the parts when
they are unloaded.
The few impurities in the oil are generated from the load
only, so continuous filtering is not necessary. This eliminates the
risk of clogging and consumption of oil filters.
The consumption of neutral gas is also limited to the needs
of filling the quenching tank at a pressure close to atmospheric.
Compared with the best solutions for high-pressure gas
quenching and equivalent load, this consumption is reduced by
a factor of 10-15. The use of expensive gases or mixtures is no
longer necessary to ensure the quenching quality.
Ease of Industrial and Environmental Integration
Vacuum furnaces have proven their integration ease into
industrial units. This is even more evident in the case of a
vacuum oil-quenching furnace. For example:
The use of cold walls and the lack of flames or burners
ensures complete safety for operators.
The containment of vapors in a sealed enclosure and the
extraction of the heat-treatment residuals from vacuum
pumps protect the workshop from heat-treatment exhaust.
This allows integration into a flexible cell (Fig. 6-intro) or
even the tool shop.
The low inertia of the heating chamber, designed on the
same principle as the gas-cooled vacuum furnace, allows
furnace shutdown when it is not used. Significant energy
savings can be made during nonworking days without
affecting the productivity of the equipment during the
restart.

Internal door

Mechanical lifter

Sliding door

Fig. 7. Oil vacuum furnace type P164TH

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Fig. 8. Functioning principle of P16_TH series

Oil-Quenching Vacuum Furnace Technology

Principle
The technology of vacuum oil quenching is very close to vacuum
gas-cooled furnaces.
All or part of the external enclosure is cooled by doublewall water circulation.
Building materials and insulation of the heating chamber
are mainly derived from graphite. A convection turbine may
be available to improve the circulation at low temperature
<750C.
Groups of pumps allow evacuation of the enclosure.
Oil quenching adds subassembly to complete the equipment.
A specific example can be seen in Figures 7 and 8. The
subassembly includes:
An oil tank, equipped with propellers, heating elements and
cooling exchanger
A load-handling system allows automatic and fast transfers
between the area of loading/unloading, the heating
chamber and the quenching tank.
Elements for Furnace-Type Selection
The range of oil-quenching vacuum furnaces has expanded in
recent years. Many solutions are now available, and the user
must do a precise analysis to select the most adequate equipment
to serve production. The following factors must be analyzed.
Volume and gross load: These are the first elements to be
defined. They are based on unit size and shape of the most
cumbersome parts and production volume. Depending on
the furnace technology (one- or two-chamber), the cycle
time can vary, which impacts the size of the furnace.
Vacuum level required: If a primary vacuum level is usually
sufficient for hardening low-alloy steels, some more exotic
applications may require a higher vacuum. The twochamber furnaces allow the addition of a diffusion pump.
Flexibility of cooling: Oil quenching can be complemented
with accelerated cooling by forced convection of inert gas.
This allows performing the carburizing and annealing
operations, for example. Oil/gas quenching can be equipped
with a high-pressure cooling chamber and thus expand the
range of steels, which increases the equipment versatility.
Need for load thermocouple(s): Some applications (e.g.,
aerospace industry) may require the use of these pyrometers.
The complexity of the systems implemented and the
short life of oil-cooled thermocouples limit their use to a
minimum.
Transfer time: Alloys with low hardenability require quick
transfer time. If the 20-40 seconds of transfer time can be
achieved in almost all modern ovens, a need for transfer
time of less than 15-20 seconds limits the number of
equipment options in the market.
Possibility of civil engineering: Some installations require

a pit to be installed, and some do not. In some cases (e.g.,

flexible cells), solutions such as mezzanine can replace the
pit configurations, provided that the height of the building
is compatible.
Range of Vacuum Furnaces with Tempering Oil
If you are in search of a vacuum furnace with quench oil, a range
of products exist. Each of these products has its advantages and
limitations. These include horizontal furnaces with single or
double chambers for oil and gas quenching. Some designs handle
larger volumes, and some are better for a shop with smaller
loads. Multiple-chamber vertical furnaces are also available.
These are good for distortion control on long parts but typically
require a pit and a larger initial investment. Identify your specific
requirements before purchasing your vacuum furnace.

Conclusion
Vacuum oil quenching is a less-familiar process. Combining
the benefits of vacuum safety with the quality of treatment,
however, provides an industrial solution that is efficient, clean
and competitive.
These advantages face a number of wrong assumptions,
including:
The pieces soaked in oil are distorted. An adequate adjustment and a precise control of the hardening conditions can
often do better in terms of deformation than HPGQ.
The pieces soaked in oil should be cleaned. It is true that
cleaning after quenching is necessary to remove the oil.
However, the oil film on the surface preserves the part to
the point that it is impossible to make the visual difference
between a part soaked with oil or gas. In addition,
generally, a washing solution is already required before heat
treatment. The additional step of cleaning often does not
require more equipment or significant additional costs.
Vacuum oil-quenching furnaces are expensive. Like any piece
of equipment, the competitiveness of a furnace must be an
assessment of its investment cost and operation. Providing
benefits including reduced cost of consumables, this solution
may be more competitive in the medium term. In addition,
the cost of single-chamber oil vacuum furnaces is particularly
attractive, even compared to traditional furnaces.
The option of vacuum oil quenching must be carefully
analyzed by any company planning to invest in equipment
for heat treatment of low-alloy steels. It must be compared
with conventional oil-quenching solutions and the HPGQ
alternative, integrating operating costs and enhancing the
potential productivity gains offered by this technology.
For more information: Contact Laurent Charra, Tenova HTC Division BMI Fours Industriels, 65 Rue du Ruisseau 38897 Saint Quentin
Fallavier, France; e-mail: laurent.charra@tenova.com; website:
www.bmi-fours.com
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