Effects of Polyethylene Glycol on the Mechanical Properties of Medium Carbon Low Alloy Steel

Abstract

The effect of polyethylene glycol [H(OCH₂CH₂)nOH] as quenchant was studied with a view to investigate the mechanical properties and microstructural evaluation of steel. The test samples were subjected to a conventional heat treatment process followed by quenching using prepared polymer solution with a definite proportion. The samples were characterized using a microhardness tester and universal tensile machine for the mechanical properties, metallurgical microscope was used in analyzing their structural re-orientation. From the result, it was observed that the hardness increment of the quenched samples conform to literature review as there was also a rise in the tensile properties. This though, was at the expense of their ductility. The micrographs were found to have justified the reason for the increment recorded in some of the mechanical properties, as it displayed a high proportion of the martensitic phase.