Why isn't aluminium used as an alloying element in blade steels?

Lotmom

Lotmom

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Apr 21, 2016
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So, I was reading up on different alloying components in steel and came across aluminium. From what I read:

"Aluminum - is added to steel in very small amounts as a deoxidizer. It also is a grain refiner for improved toughness; steels with moderate aluminum additions have been made to a "fine grain practice".

It seems to me that this has only positive effects. What gives?
 
It’s used in air melt steels. Manufacturers of tool steels use cleaner methods to make steel.

There is usually a very small amount of aluminum in most steel though.

Hoss
 
When used as a deoxidizer it isn’t usually listed in the composition, in part because the amount added is very small. Crucible goes further and doesn’t even list Mn and Si in a lot of their data sheets.
 
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DevinT said:
It’s used in air melt steels. Manufacturers of tool steels use cleaner methods to make steel.

There is usually a very small amount of aluminum in most steel though.

Hoss
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Could you expand on what air melt is?
Is that the ONLY use for aluminum in blade steel?

edit: I got off my butt and searched up air-melt.

why is aluminum used, though
 
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Larrin said:
When used as a deodorizer it isn’t usually listed in the composition, in part because the amount added is very small. Crucible goes further and doesn’t even list Mn and Si in a lot of their data sheets.
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As he said it is a deodorizer. Go find a piece of steel and smell it. You likely smell nothing. In order to make steel it most be smelted. To do this they take small pieces of its and dip them in propritory smelly things. They then pass them around and the ones that smell the worst no one wants so the melt it down and make steel out of it. As you know aluminum is used in deodorant and is very effective at getting rid of smells. So they dump some aluminum on it and the smell is gone. If they did not do this no one would buy steel at all.

Also and this is far less important anytime you see something in steel that is a "deoxidizer" it means that it will consume any oxygen before the oxygen causes problems with the steel itself. I guess I should state that is the way it works in welding. The flux and often the filler metal will have extra deoxidizer to consume any free oxygen in the weld puddle. Basically they have a lower flame point than the base material. Like if you mixed gas and diesel and put them in a enclosed space. The gas would burn first and the diesel wouldn't be touched. What it does as a alloy I have no idea other than to be careful about mixing a aluminum deoxydized filler metal with one that uses Mn or Si because it can cause problems.
 
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