Steel, an alloy of carbon and the iron, was first invented in 1800 BC in an archaeological site in Anatolia. Since then, it has been the base material for some of the world’s largest infrastructures and industries. Today, steel is used to make an extensive range of products starting from sewing needles to oil tankers and everything in between. Now, it is time to understand what hardened steel means. This is a term that is given to any steel that has medium or high carbon content and has undergone heat treatment, quenching, and tempering. Owing to these three consecutive steps, hardened steel becomes the apt choice for objects that endure high abuse or force, like automotive parts, drill bits, hand tools, etc. Following are some of the significant properties of hardened steel that set them apart from others.
1. Wear-resistant
One of the significant properties of hardened steel is its ability to resist wear and tear. Any steel with a high concentration of carbon will simultaneously have a high quantity of chromium. This, when going through heat treatment, creates chromium carbide particles that enhance wear resistance. Therefore a steel strip manufacturer in India is a perfect supplier for rough use products like shovels, nozzles, surgical equipment, fine cutlery, etc.
2. Abrasion-resistant
You can often find hardened steel used to create crushers, highway truck beds, conveyors, etc., prone to sliding. What hardened steel does is it provides unfathomable resistance against sliding abrasions. Not just that, it can also withstand heavy punching and drilling like the type that can be seen in hard-rock mining and quarries.
3. Durability
Another asset that is an advantage for hardened steel strip manufacturer is its extreme durability and toughness. This indicates how much force it can withstand before showing tiny cracks and fractures. When a strip of steel that comprises manganese, chromium, and carbon undergoes heat treatment, it becomes two times harder than untreated or oil-treated steel. This makes it perfect for equipment like knives and surgical items like scalpels that experience a lot of pressure on a regular basis.
4. Magnetized permanently
Being a hardened steel strip manufacturer means creating a demagnetized material. This is another one of the properties that are exhibited owing to the stress that is induced into the metal during the hardening transformation. However, this unique property is limited to a given grade of steel where the corrosive force elevates the hardness leaving the alloys permanently magnetic in nature.
5. Elasticity
Another astonishing characteristic of hardened steel is its elasticity situation. For instance, it will surely break if you try to bend an already hardened nail. The reason behind it is the iron carbide particles in the alloy prevent it from undergoing deformation and slipping. However, if you take the same nail, heat it red hot and then try to bend it, it definitely will like plastic. Once you have created the desired shape, let it cool down slowly, and it will retain the shape.
6. Corrosion-resistant
The last notable property of hardened steel is its strength to resist corrosive materials. In most parts of the world, metals are necessary for industrial purposes. However, not every type of metal can hold against chemicals. This corrosion often affects materials and metallic surfaces resulting in high costs. This is where hardened steel comes into play. Its corrosion-resistant coating help prevents damage by harmful chemicals, potable water, salt water, environmental changes, etc.
To sum it all up
In today’s world, several types of steel are in the making. Nevertheless, owing to the many properties of hardened steel and its various utility, it is an absolute favorite by the famous steel strip manufacturer in India.