The present paper discusses the influence of experimental conditions on the quenching performance of poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) (PEOX) aqueous solutions used as cooling medium, using a standard ISO Inconel alloy probe for measurements of cooling rate. The evaluation procedure is demonstrated on characterization of cooling power of water-based polymer (PEOX) solutions by using different concentration, temperatures, and agitation conditions of the cooling media. The results show that the different experimental conditions have a significant effect on the cooling performance. The polymer quenching mechanism and the comparative cooling characteristics of water, and water-based PEOX polymer solution with concentrations from 2.5 to 15 wt.% were discussed. The study involved the assessment of the quenching severity by calculating the hardening power (HP) via empirical equations. Calculation of heat transfer coefficients as well as prediction of microstructural constituents and the hardness profile in a cross-section of steel sample were carried out on the basis of inverse calculation from the recorded cooling curve.

"Organosilanes bearing alkoxysilane are widely used in sol-gel process. In this process, the hydrolysis reaction is usually carried out in aqueous or hydroalcoholic solutions and the condensation reaction requires high temperatures. The hydrolysis of the alkoxysilanes in the presence of water is fast and can be considered as complete. The obtained silanols can then condensate into oligomers by a much slower reaction that depends on temperature. Our objective is to devise a simple synthesis way for grafting such coupling agent onto the mineral fillers surface without using solvent and heating. Mineral fillers are used as reinforcement in dental composites based on Bis-GMA/TEGDMA. The way developed in this work involves a photoinitiated sol-gel process. It consists in using a photoacid generator to activate the hydrolysis and condensation reactions under atmospheric humidity. Mineral oxides usually used in dental materials were chosen as inorganic filler: the zirconia (ZrO2) which is a radiopacifiant agent and the alumina (Al2O3) which allows improving the mechanical properties of the composite. A kinetic study of the self-condensation of the 3-MPS used as coupling agent in the presence of Irgacure 250 ® as photoacid generator was carried out and the operating conditions (irradiation intensity and time) of the functionalization reaction were optimized. Grafted fillers were characterized by FTIR spectroscopy and thermogravimetic analysis. FTIR and TGA analyses of the particles after treatment allow confirming the grafting. Compared to the conventional way, the photoinitiated process proves to be faster, easier, less expensive in energy, and much more efficient in terms of 3-MPS grafted quantity. "