![]() ![]() Instead of quenching in water, for example, you can quench in warm oil. Manganese allows for a slower cooling rate. The tricky thing is that the faster the quench, the more of a risk there is of cracking. Normally, steel will need a fast quench from a high temperature to a very low temperature in order to harden. The primary reason for adding this is to fine-tune the heat treating requirements. Technically you’ll see this in noticeable quantities in carbon steel, but higher quantities with alloy steel. ![]() Let’s go over what some of the common alloying elements are, and what effect they have on the metal. Low alloy steels are by far the most common.Īlloying different elements changes the properties of the steel pretty drastically.įor example, you can change the strength, hardness, and corrosion resistance by tweaking these alloying elements. There are generally two categories of alloy steel: low alloy and high alloy.Īnything with less than an 8% alloying element is labelled as low alloy, anything over 8% is high alloy. Really hard to work with, so it’s pretty much only for specialized applications. It’s not too likely that you’ll run into this very often. Technically there’s another category in here – Very High Carbon Steel. You’ll generally need to anneal it before you can cut it mechanically, unless you have some expensive, specialized equipment and tools. Very heat treatable, but hard to machine and weld. ![]() That means that it’s good for smaller knives that won’t do any heavy chopping. It holds a really good edge, but it’s also easy to snap. It’s soft enough that it won’t snap in half when you chop with it, but it will still hold a good edge.Īt the high end of the spectrum, you have 1095 steel (0.95% carbon). This is a common steel to use for springs and wires, since it takes a lot of compression to get plastic deformation (when the metal doesn’t just spring back).Ī popular one for large knives is 1075 (0.75% carbon). Usually this is only used when you really need it, since it’s not easy to work with. This is getting into the pretty specialized stuff. The carbon content is 0.55%-0.95% carbon, with a manganese content of 0.30%-0.90%. Medium carbon steels can be heat treated and tempered. This is a stronger steel with good wear resistance, but it’s a bit trickier to form, weld, and cut. The carbon content is 0.29%-0.54% carbon, with a manganese content of 0.6%-1.65%. This is a process that adds carbon to the surface, which makes for a hard outer layer and soft core. The only way to increase its hardness through heat treating is by case hardening. You’ll find it in simple mechanical systems. This is a common steel for hobbyists to use. It’s the most common type of steel you’ll find in applications that don’t have any particular requirements, like high strength or wear resistance. Higher carbon content also makes it more difficult to weld.Ĭarbon steel generally is divided into three categories: Low Carbon SteelĪKA mild steel, where the carbon content is between 0.05 and 0.25%, with a maximum manganese content of 0.4%. The higher the carbon content, the more you can heat treat and harden the metal. The lower the carbon content, the more ductile the metal is. You probably already figured that much out. Aside from iron, the main element of this steel is carbon. ![]()
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