ADVANCED EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATIONS ON NANOFLUIDS AS QUENCHANTS IN METAL ALLOY HEAT TREATMENTS

Recently, nanofluids have played an essential role in their use as a cooling medium in various disciplines in both scientific and industrial sectors. There are different fields of study of nanofluids, which have been intensely investigated theoretically, experimentally, and numerically. Metallurgical applications have allowed the implementation of nanofluids as a cooling medium in different applications. This compilation analyzed research on nanofluids as a cooling medium in heat treatments of metals, mainly steel. Factors that affect the heat extraction process in heat treatments and the effect on the microstructure and mechanical properties, such as type of nanoparticles, concentration, base fluids, particle size, temperature, shape, and surfactants, are discussed. Many variables add complexity to the heat extraction process in heat treatment processes. For this reason, research on the use of nanofluids in the heat treatment of steel is minimal, and there are discrepancies in the results obtained by researchers, which implies an enormous potential for further studies on the subject. Keywords: Nanofluids, quenching, heat treatment, heat transfer.