Steel toughness

Another steel question--I believe I understand what steel toughness is, and I understand that it is inversely related to hardness/edge holding/abrasion resistance.

My question is this--is toughness the same as ductility? I was talking to a mechanical engineering type the other day, and he told me that toughness is not a technical term (figured that much) and that he thinks that it is actually the ductility of the steel.

Are they the same, AND is toughness always inversely proportional to hardness?

thanks

Matt
 
C

Cliff Stamp

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Impact toughness is a well defined machanical qualtity which measures the amount of energy necessary to break a piece of material by a suddent violent impact. Ductility measures how much a piece of material will extend after it passed the plastic barrier (takes a perm. bend). They are both highly dependent on hardness in similar ways but the relationship is not a simple one and varies across different materials.

-Cliff
 
There are quite a few other properties also involved in what is called 'toughness' in relation to knives. So yes, it is buy no means a technical term.

--JB

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