About Alloys That Harden Steel
The invention of steel was a huge leap forward from iron, but steel is also improved by the addition of certain other elements. These elements add strength to steel, making it more durable or harder. Alloy steels are used in a variety of different products, all depending upon the element added to create alloyed steel.
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Function
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Vanadium is a common element used to harden steel. Vanadium pentoxide is added to basic iron ore, which then bonds to the iron, forming ferrovanadium. This new alloy is then processed in the same way that steel is; that is, it is exposed to high heat and carbon that forms steel. The result is a tempered, alloyed steel with a small trace of vanadium within, which makes the steel resistant to corrosion from alkaloids.
Types
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Molybdenum is used to make steel even more resistant to stresses from pressure and heat, particularly rapid expansion of heat and high volumes of pressure. Molybdenum is a white, powdery element that when added to steel creates an alloy that is useful in military applications such as artillery barrels or other tubes that contain and direct explosives. The famous German artillery piece "Big Bertha" contained significant portions of molybdenum-hardened steel, for example.
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Features
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Manganese is an essential component in alloyed steel. When manganese dioxide and iron oxide are smelted together in a high-temperature furnace, ferromanganese is formed. Manganese allows steel to absorb, and in some cases benefit, from impact and pressure. High-manganese steel was discovered in the late 19th century and was called Manganal. Manganal absorbs impact or abrasion, hardening the layers of the surface steel but allowing the steel underneath to remain ductile and somewhat flexible in a process called "work hardening." The more work done on manganal, the harder it becomes. Manganal is used in construction equipment, for example, because the more the equipment is used, the tougher it becomes.
Effects
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Silicon is a common element used in computers and to manufacture glass, but when added to the steel-making process it produces a steel that is flexible without becoming brittle. Some silicon is found in the clays or sands used to manufacture steel in ancient Japan and Damascus, but the application was not uniform. Steel and silicon are often combined to create cutlery that is durable, flexible and resistant to corrosion.
Considerations
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Copper, chromite and other elements can be added to steel in order to harden it, but perhaps the most popular way to harden steel is to vary the mount of carbon added to the alloyed steel. High-carbon steel alloys are durable, flexible and offer a weight advantage (as well as a price advantage) over other alloyed steels. The result is a widely used steel that can adequately fill a multitude of purposes from automobile frames, to girders for skyscrapers, to the hull of a naval warship.
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