Quenching is a process used in materials science to rapidly cool a workpiece in water, oil, polymer, air, or other fluids to obtain certain material properties. It is a type of heat treating that prevents distortion and cracking of the material being treated. In metallurgy, quenching is most commonly used to harden steel by inducing a martensite transformation, where the steel must be rapidly cooled through its eutectoid point, the temperature at which austenite becomes unstable. Quench hardening is a mechanical process in which steel and cast iron alloys are strengthened and hardened.
The word "quench" can also have a positive or negative meaning in other contexts. For example, in the context of feedback, "quench" can refer to a series of statements intended to persuade others, which can be both positive and negative. In the context of education, "quench" is not commonly used, but positive and negative numbers are used together to describe quantities having a product. In the context of happiness, there is a Buddhist saying that trying to seek happiness through sensory gratification is like trying to quench your thirst by drinking saltwater.
There are no specific ingredients or materials associated with the word "quench" in general. However, in the context of phytochemicals, quenching refers to the process of stopping a chemical reaction, such as lipid oxidation, by adding an antioxidant.
