What does crucible steel mean?
Definitions for crucible steel
cru·cible steel
This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word crucible steel.
Princeton's WordNet
crucible steelnoun
steel made by the mixture of molten wrought iron, charcoal, and other substances in a crucible
Wiktionary
crucible steelnoun
A high-grade steel, used in tools and dies, originally made by fusing wrought iron and charcoal in a crucible.
Wikipedia
Crucible steel
Crucible steel is steel made by melting pig iron (cast iron), iron, and sometimes steel, often along with sand, glass, ashes, and other fluxes, in a crucible. In ancient times steel and iron were impossible to melt using charcoal or coal fires, which could not produce temperatures high enough. However, pig iron, having a higher carbon content and thus a lower melting point, could be melted, and by soaking wrought iron or steel in the liquid pig-iron for a long time, the carbon content of the pig iron could be reduced as it slowly diffused into the iron, turning both into steel. Crucible steel of this type was produced in South and Central Asia during the medieval era. This generally produced a very hard steel, but also a composite steel that was inhomogeneous, consisting of a very high-carbon steel (formerly the pig-iron) and a lower-carbon steel (formerly the wrought iron). This often resulted in an intricate pattern when the steel was forged, filed or polished, with possibly the most well-known examples coming from the wootz steel used in Damascus swords. The steel was often much higher in carbon content (typically ranging in the area of 1.5 to 2.0%) and in quality (lacking impurities) in comparison with other methods of steel production of the time because of the use of fluxes. The steel was usually worked very little and at relatively low temperatures to avoid any decarburization, hot short crumbling, or excess diffusion of carbon; just enough hammering to form the shape of a sword. With a carbon content close to that of cast iron, it usually required no heat treatment after shaping other than air cooling to achieve the correct hardness, relying on composition alone. The higher-carbon steel provided a very hard edge, but the lower-carbon steel helped to increase the toughness, helping to decrease the chance of chipping, cracking, or breaking.In Europe, crucible steel was developed by Benjamin Huntsman in England in the 18th century. Huntsman used coke rather than coal or charcoal, achieving temperatures high enough to melt steel and dissolve iron. Huntsman's process differed from some of the wootz processes in that it used a longer time to melt the steel and to cool it down and thus allowed more time for the diffusion of carbon. Huntsman's process used iron and steel as raw materials, in the form of blister steel, rather than direct conversion from cast iron as in puddling or the later Bessemer process. The ability to fully melt the steel removed any inhomogeneities in the steel, allowing the carbon to dissolve evenly into the liquid steel and negating the prior need for extensive blacksmithing in an attempt to achieve the same result. Similarly, it allowed steel to be cast by pouring into molds. The use of fluxes allowed nearly complete extraction of impurities from the liquid, which could then simply float to the top for removal. This produced the first steel of modern quality, providing a means of efficiently changing excess wrought iron into useful steel. Huntsman's process greatly increased the European output of quality steel suitable for use in items like knives, tools, and machinery, helping to pave the way for the Industrial Revolution.
ChatGPT
crucible steel
Crucible steel is a high-quality steel that is produced through the method of crucible smelting, in which iron and other materials are melted in a crucible, or a container that can withstand very high temperatures. The process allows for a more controlled and precise manipulation of the material's composition and impurities, resulting in a stronger and purer steel. It was historically used for making tools, weapons, and other items that required a strong, durable material.
Wikidata
Crucible steel
Crucible steel describes a number of different techniques for making steel in a crucible. Its manufacture is essentially a refining process in which another form of steel, that had been consolidated by hammering, such as shear steel, is melted to give a more uniform material. Crucible steel has aroused considerable interest for well over a thousand years and there is a sizable body of work concerning its nature and production. The crucible steel of the Industrial Revolution is referred to in this article as English crucible steel, which was developed for making watch springs. It was also used in other applications such as scissors, axes and swords. The puddling process, developed in the 1840s, produced a satisfactory grade of wrought iron for many applications at a cost far below crucible steel; however, while puddled iron was suitable for structural applications, it did not replace steel in cutting tools. By the end of the 19th century new steel making processes such as Bessemer and the open hearth furnace were able to produce quality steel at a cost even below puddling, making the crucible process obsolescent. The crucible process continued to be used for specialty steels, but is today obsolete. Basic oxygen furnaces and electric arc furnaces have largely replaced all previous ones.
Matched Categories
Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of crucible steel in Chaldean Numerology is: 9
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of crucible steel in Pythagorean Numerology is: 8
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"crucible steel." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 26 Apr. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/crucible+steel>.
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