In materials science, quenching is the rapid cooling of a workpiece in water, oil or air to obtain certain material properties. A type of heat treating, quenching prevents undesired low-temperature processes, such as phase transformations, from occurring. It does this by reducing the window of time during which these undesired reactions are both thermodynamically favorable, and kinetically accessible; for instance, quenching can reduce the crystal grain size of both metallic and plastic material
The length of the day in Walla Walla varies significantly over the course of the year. In 2017, the shortest day is December 21, with 8 hours, 38 minutes of daylight; the longest day is June 21, with 15 hours, 46 minutes of daylight.
Walla Walla is in the southeastern region of Washington, approximately four and a half hours away by car from Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington, and thirteen miles north of the Oregon border. Whitman College, Walla Walla Community College and the Washington State Penitentiary are located in Walla Walla. Walla Walla University is located in nearby College Place, Washington. Baker Boyer Bank, the oldest bank in the state of Washington, was founded in Walla Walla in 1869.