Heat Treating Steels?
Custom Heat Treating
Hardening Steel, Tempering Knife Steel
Annealing Knife Steels. Does It Really Matter?
What is heat-treating steel all about? How does it happen? Why does it happen? Why should it happen? We'll explore these and other questions in this post as I try to give you a layperson's understanding of some standard heat-treating terms and the various phases of steel. So dive in, and let's get going!
Annealing--
Annealing is basically the opposite of hardening, as it softens steel, making it easier to grind, drill, saw, or perform other operations required to make a knife. Annealing also performs the function of stress relief, relaxing internal stresses created at the mill or in grinding/shaping your knife.
Annealing happens by heating the steel slightly above its critical temperature and holding it there for some time. After this step, a SLOW cooling is required, in the dozens of hours for some steels. The alloying elements dictate all this time/temp in the steel, and the manufacturer provides recommendations for each.
Choosing proper times and temperatures can also improve the grain structure, carbide distribution and grain size, and help set up the steel for the best hardening response possible. Most knife steels are delivered in some annealed state, although some manufacturers do a better job than others at maximizing the properties of the steel. It is always in the best interest of a knife maker to run "test coupons" for each new batch of steel to determine the appropriate recipe for that batch.
There are other recipes to anneal steel that serve different purposes based on the alloy of steel in question, and the mechanical properties desired. Our Custom Knife Maker offers an expert heat treating service for steel. We use the DET Anneal method to produce an even, finely spheroidized carbide structure, resulting in superior mechanical properties after hardening. This specialized method is tailored to low alloy carbon steels, providing you with the best knife we can make.
Temper Annealing is a process used by custom knife makers to improve the performance of their blades. It helps refine grain size in higher alloy steels and improve their edge holding ability. The process involves heating the steel to a specific temperature, then quenching it according to the right process for the steel. It is then tempered at a higher temperature than normal, usually 1100-1200F. This places the steel back in a soft state, but with an array of very fine "precipitation carbides". These carbides create austenite nucleation points during the next hardening. The result is a blade that is finer grained, stronger, and more durable. Temper Annealing is a great way to fine tune high alloy tool steels for knives.
The Subcritical Anneal heats the steel to BELOW its critical temp and then is removed from the furnace to cool in still air. Subcritical Annealing is a process used by custom knife makers to help relieve stresses in steel. This process involves heating the steel to a temperature below its critical temperature and then letting it cool in still air, relieving internal stresses, increasing resistance to wear and fatigue, and improves the dimensional stability of the material. Subcritical Annealing is also a more cost effective process than some other annealing processes.
Normalizing--
Normalizing most often happens after forging or heavy grinding/machining operations on simpler CARBON steels. This happens at higher temperatures than annealing and is used primarily to break up coarsely spheroidized carbides enlarged in the forging process or by poor annealing processes at the foundry or mill. After soaking at this higher temperature for an appropriate time, the steel is removed from the furnace and allowed to cool in still air. This step promotes uniformity of the grain structure and improves the microstructure of the steel. Normalizing should not be used on air hardening steels such as stainless or high alloy steels.
Grain Refinement--
With simple carbon steels, a grain refinement cycle is a good idea after normalizing, where that elevated temperature can cause grain growth, requiring this cycle. This refinement happens when you heat the steel into the lower range of its hardening window for a short soak of 15-20 minutes or so, and then cool the steel in still air. Some folks believe several of these cycles at progressively lower temps improve the microscopic structure of the steel, others believe repeated refinement cycles to be unnecessary. This process leaves the steel in a microstructure called "pearlite". Steel grain refinement is an important step in the custom knife making process. Grain refinement is especially important with simple carbon steels, as an elevated temperature can cause grain growth. Through grain refinement, knife makers can make sure that their the microscopic structure of their knives is of the highest quality.
DET Anneal--
A divorced eutectoid transformation (DET) anneal is a specialized heat treatment used by heat treaters to refine the microstructure of certain types of steel. The process involves heating the steel to a temperature just above the austenitizing temperature and then cooling it at a controlled rate to a temperature just above the eutectoid temperature. This results in a fine grain size and a homogenous microstructure, called "fine spheroidized carbides", that is ideal for subsequent heat treatments such as quenching and tempering. This is thought by many metallurgists to be the very best structure to austenitize from.
Hardening--
The austenitizing, or "hardening" temperature of a given steel is determined by the alloying and carbon content of the steel type, and can range from as low as 1425-1450F for some low alloy steels, to over 2100F for high alloy high-speed tool steels. This temperature along with time changes the steel into a phase called austenite and helps dissolve some of the carbides, providing carbon in solution to harden the steel matrix. Austenite is nonmagnetic and has a different crystalline structure than room temp steel. Carbides give up some carbon into the austenite to increase hardness upon quenching. High alloying percentages of chromium, tungsten, cobalt, vanadium, or molybdenum will raise the hardening temperature (austenitization temperature) and soak time at temp, to give these complex carbides time to dissolve and give up some carbon. Too high a temperature and you risk grain growth, reduced toughness, and lowered stain resistance. Too low a temp and the steel won't fully harden. Custom knife makers must pay close attention to the austenitizing temperatures of the steel they are using as it affects the hardness and wear resistance of the blade. This process changes the steel into a phase called austenite, and upon quenching in air, oil, or water, the austenite converts to MARTENSITE. Now we're getting somewhere!
Quenching--
After the steel has reached the proper temp and soak time in the oven, it is time to "quench". Quenching is a rapid cooling to room temperature from the high austenitization temperature. Depending on the steel this can be as harsh and severe as plunging into warm water or brine, oil quenching in an engineered quench oil, clamping between aluminum or steel plates, or for air hardening steels, simply sitting or hanging in still air is sufficient. The object for each steel is to quench the steel at the appropriate cooling rate to lock in the hard martensite phase, without stressing the steel so much that it cracks, so the proper quenching media is very important. This again transforms the steel from the soft, ductile austenite phase to the harder, stronger martensite phase. This is what we've been working for all along!
Cryogenic Treatment--
After the quench, some steels do not fully convert to martensite at room temperature. Again we can blame alloying elements in this case. Cryogenic treatment of steel is a process used by custom knife makers to improve the performance and durability of their knives. The process involves exposing the steel to temperatures between -300°F and -320°F for up to 24 hours. This process helps to reduce "retained austenite" and increase the strength, hardness, and wear resistance of the steel. By utilizing this process, knife makers are able to make better and longer lasting knives that can withstand more wear and tear. Some alloys lower what is called the Mf, or martensite finish temp. With enough of these elements in the composition, Mf falls to below room temperature or even below zero F. This is where liquid nitrogen comes in. A dip in LN2 for a few minutes to a few hours lowers our steel to -320F and guarantees a near-full conversion of austenite to martensite in any alloy. The steel is now harder and stronger, sacrificing a small reduction in toughness for greater strength and hardness. Find out more about liquid nitrogen treatments HERE!
Tempering--
After cryo processing, the steel is allowed to warm back to room temp, then goes through the tempering process at a temperature just high enough to reduce internal stresses and soften the martensite a little to make it more ductile and tough. The tempering process is nearly always under 400F for the steels I use, always two temper cycles minimum, and always for two hours or so. This ever so slightly softens the steel to its final working hardness by allowing a small amount of carbon to precipitate out of the steel matrix as fine "precipitation" carbides. Tempering also reduces the extreme stresses created in the steel from the hardening and quenching processes. If all these steps are done at precise temperatures, for precise hold times, the steel will be the best it can possibly be, for a knife. The tempered steel will exhibit the maximum toughness and edge retention for the given alloy, have adequate hardness and other desired properties for its intended purpose, and make someone a fine knife!
There are MANY other ways to heat treat steels: surface hardening, case hardening, nitriding, and more. Absolutely none of these apply to knife making.
More FREE Learning:
The Next Ultimate Knife Buyer's Guide
How I Design and Make a Kitchen Knife
What Makes a Good Chef's Knife?
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Thanks for reading,
Keith