Quench Cracks- 3 Ways to Recognize
As-quenched Martensite is hard and brittle- it has virtually no ductility. Quench cracks result from stresses produced during the transition from Austenite to Martensite, which involves an increase in volume. Quench cracks run from the surface towards the center of mass in a fairly straight line; Quench cracks do not have decarburization apparent, since the quenching occurs at relatively low temperatures; The fracture surfaces of quench cracks will exhibit a very fine crystalline structure.