quenching

physics and chemistry

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July 13, 2026

Quick Summary

Quenching is a process of rapid cooling, typically by immersing a heated object in a liquid like water or oil. This technique is primarily used in materials processing, especially with metals, to preserve specific mechanical properties that would be altered by slow cooling.12

For steel, quenching imparts hardness. Conversely, it can restore malleability to hardened copper objects by heating them and then quenching. This process is contrasted with annealing and tempering, which are other heat treatment methods.1

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photochemical reaction
Photosensitization
…molecules in a process called quenching (as in the case of the space shuttle wing described above). When this occurs, the donor molecule begins in its triplet state and undergoes a change in spin to its singlet ground state. The molecular oxygen begins in its triplet ground state and also…
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…molecules in a process called quenching (as in the case of the space shuttle wing described above). When this occurs, the donor molecule begins in its triplet state and undergoes a change in spin to its singlet ground state. The molecular oxygen begins in its triplet ground state and also…
Read More