New Steel Combinations Produced by the Damascus Technique

摘要

Multilayered forged steel plates,which combine the properties of diverse steel qualities,are referred to as Damascus steels.Since the 3rd century AD blades and weapons have been produced by the Damascus technique in Europe.In this work four different steel combinations were investigated.Combining Fe with carbon steel C60 resulted in a ferritic-pearlitic microstructure.By forging two heat-treatable steels C40 and C60 martensite with an mhomogeneous carbon distribution was formed.Combining Fe with an austenitic stainless steel showed ferrite and austenite with grain boundary carbides and segregation bands.The last combination of two cold working steels K110 and K600 led to a complex microstructure with martensite,retained austenite and two special types of carbides.After metallographic preparation and using of different etchants the various microstructures were characterized by light optical microscopy and confirmed by Vicker’s microhardness measurements.Of high interest are the interfaces and the quality of the weld between the individual steel layers.In some regions oxidation and carbon diffusion were observed.