420和420hc区别.pdf

Knife Steel Steel is a mixture, or alloy, of iron and carbon, combined during the smelting process. Specifically, steel is iron that has a carbon content of 1.7 percent or less. The characteristics of steel can be modified by the addition in varying amounts of other metals, principally chromium, manganese, molybdenum, vanadium, nickel, or tungsten, and by adjusting the carbon content. Specific traits of the steel can be further enhanced through physical manipulation of the metal by heat treatment, quenching, hardening and tempering. The science of metallurgy is devoted to developing properties in steel and other metals to optimize their performance in specific applications. Heat treating is the process that gives steel its hardness, as well as toughness, strength, durability, wear resistance, and ductility. As a generalization, the process involves thoroughly preheating a component, such as knife steel, to 1400-1500 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 30 minutes. It is then raised to the range of 1850-1950 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes to one hour. Although 440A and 440B are in the same series as 440C, these alloys are not nearly as good as 440C for knife making. Higher carbon steels like 440C afford better edge retention than generic stainless steels but more resistance to corrosion than high carbon tool steels. 440C stainless was among the first of the stainless steels to be generally accepted for quality knife making and it still remains very popular. Technologies regarding tempering have further enhanced the toughness of 440C. Cryogenic treatment is a sub-zero quenching procedure that greatly contributes to the toughness and ed