Questions about crystalline structure during heat treating & nickel question.

[SurvivalDude]

Cementite, bainite, pearlite, martensite, austentite...

I'm confused by these.

I know that martensite is what I want to form when making a knife. Are there charts that show me when these structures are present, the transition phases, etc...? Can I get them for specific steel types??

There is a chart I found here.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Phase_diag_iron_carbon.PNG
It seems generic and also. I don't see martensite or bainite anywhere on this chart!

Do I really have to worry about these technicalities? Will normal heat treating then cryo treatments make martensite if I just follow the manufacturer recommended procedures for heat treating?

If you guys could point me to charts that show these stages for L6, O1 and 1808 Improved Plow I would appreciate it.

Does anybody know where to get Improved Plow 1080 in bar stock??



Onto the nickel question.
Do most steels that are used for cold weather service have nickel in them? Could somebody give me examples of steel types that are primarily used for services in very cold temperatures?


Thanks again!

 

[deker]

Check the sticky thread at the top of this forum. It will explain some of the TTT chart readine, etc.

-d

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

Aldo Bruno and Mace have bar stock 1084. Basically the same thing.
macevitale@yahoo.com

 

[Kevin R. Cashen]

You will not find martensite on that diagram because it is for phases that occur under equilibrium with time at temp. martensite works quite differently and is what you get when you defeat the conditions on that chart and the phases it covers.