RONIN Custom Knives, Daniel Gentile (© 2005)

Heat Treatment for Bladesmiths & Knifemakers

A Modern & Practical Approach
Chapter 1.8
Theory: Understanding TTT Diagrams
[Fig. 1] TTT Diagram for C45 (1045) Steel
Austenitizazion Temp: 880°C
Optimal Heat up time: 2min
Holding Time: 10min
Hardness in HV10
Legend:
A = Stable Austenite Range
F = Ferrit range
P = Perlite range
B = Bainite range
M = Martensite range
M
s
= Martensite Start-Temp.
The TTT (Time Temperature Transition) Diagram shows the required holding time,
temperature & the cooling
rates for specific heat treatment of a specific steel. These Diagrams are not
universal. Normally A Steel Sup-
plier should be able to hand out the TTT Diagram for (almost) all of his Steels.
In Fig. 1 is a TTT Diagram for 1045 Carbon Steel.
As mentioned earlier in this document (Chapter 1), basically heat treatment of
steels should be regarded as
the accurate technique to change the „Structure“ of the steel... Most of the times
a successful heat treatment
process of carbon & tool steels will lead to a steel in it‘s martensitic state. As
this can be seen as it‘s hardest
state, thus enabling it to hold an edge. Sometimes Bainite is another ideal
structure to go.
The TTT diagram can show you how long a specific Steel needs to be held at a specific
temperature to com-
plete it‘s austenitization. And it will reveal the required cooling rate to form
the desired structure.
By understanding the TTT diagram you are able to achieve a very specific, optimal
result.
Sure heat treatment can work without all the bells and whistles, without
pyrometers, controlled furnaces,
magnets and other toys... You simply can watch for the „Shadow“, the
visible side effect of the physical
phenomenon of recalescence and decalescenece, remember the correct colour and
perform the quench in the
appropriate medium. It works, and with some practice you will get good results.
Whilst this method can work
well, with a lot of experience, for simple carbon steels which do not require long
holding times to achieve a
complete austenitization, it will be a very difficult task for any type of stainless
tool steel.
I believe in achieving optimal results each time. Optimal results literally
translates to a controlled work proc-
ess which has been optimiztied to reduce failures and unwanted / unnoticed changes
to a minimum.
To use the information provided in the TTT diagrams there is almost no way around
modern equipment.
Whilst a „successful“ heat treatment process can be achieved even with temperature
differences of +/- 100°C
it will, that way be far from what the technical optimum would be.
Studying the TTT‘s shows some of the complexity of the whole process, especially
when you consider that
1045 is a pretty simple steel to heat treat and will forgive a lot of mistakes.
Steels like ATS34 require working within a close range of optimal temperatures and
time (+/- 10 °C).
When I made my first encounter with the TTT‘s my first thought was to dismiss them as
a scientific nonsense
diagram no one will really understand. They look complicated, and do not welcome
you with a glass of wine
and some nice dinner. So many just forget about them. It took me some time to
understand, that a TTT diagram
is actually easier to read than it looks like.
The easiest way to approach the understanding of TTT‘s is to separate their
constant and look, at least for the
first time, at them one by one. Once this is clear, put the jig-saw back together
and it should start to make some
sense.
First we should give the X and Y scale some attention.
The Y scale shows a temperature range, starting at 0 by it‘s lower left corner. The
Unit system (°F / °C) is usu-
ally indicated at the top left corner.
The X scale shows a logarithmic time scale. The reason for the complicated looking
log time scale is actually
a simple one: It allows for very short and very long times to be displayed in the
same „small“ diagram.
Look only at the scale and it is quiet simple... it progresses in seconds. Some TTT
diagrams use a exponential
view (10
1
10
2
10
3
10
4
... Seconds) rather than writing the whole long zero-filled number... but it‘s
basically the
same so that should not be too confusing.
Next: The curved lines (transition lines) and A
1
& A
3
mark-lines
This curves show various holding times at a given temperature and cooling rates.
The Temperature range where the austenitization occurs is displayed within the
margin of the horizontal Lines
A
1
& A
3
, with A
3
being the exact austenitization temperature for the given steel.
We will go into detail of the curves in Fig. 1 in a moment...
And last but not least: The thick, darker limes and ranges
They divide the Diagram into the various Steel-Microstructures (Ferrite, Perlite,
Martensite, Bainite, Austen-
ite).
Put all together again and try to interpret it for the 1045 example:
We have A3 at approx. 880°C (the exact temp. is usually listed in text
form above or below the diagram).
Vickers & Rockwell
HV HRb HRc
193 90 -
205 92.5 -
250 99.5 22
280 - 27
302 - 30
527 - 51
544 - 52
773 - 63
If we follow curve 1 we will notice that after approx. 130s at a temperature of
720°C we will cut the first transition line (the time count begins just after a spe-
cific transition line has reached Ac3). So this is the point where the steel starts
to
form Ferritic-Crystals at the Austenitic-corn boundaries. Just after 300
seconds
the transition line crosses the Perlitic range. After 330s the perlite
formation is
completed and the steels microstructure and consists of 50 %-vol. of Ferrite and
50%-vol. Perlite with a Hardness of approx. 200 HV10 (Hardness Vickers). The
steel is really „soft“ in this state.
The Transition curve 2 marks a faster cooling compared to curve 1 as just after
4.5 seconds the pre eutektoide ferrite formation starts. And after about 8 seconds
perlite starts to form. It does not take more then 10 sec to complete the whole
transformation and the Micro-
structure now consists of 25%-vol. Ferrite and 75%-vol. Perlite with a hardness of
274 HV.
The Cooling rate for transition curve 3 shows the start of the ferritic
transformation at about 650°C after
2.3sec. After 3.8 seconds Perlite starts to form and after just 6 seconds Bainite.
Finally after 16 sec at 285°C
the left amount of Austenite begins to transform to martensit. After the steel has
cooled to room temperature
the microstructure consists of 10%-vol. Ferrite, 80%-vol. Perlite, 5%-vol. Bainite
and approx. 5%-vol. Mar-
tensite with a hardness of approx. 300 HV.
Curve 4 is interesting due to it‘s bainite & martensit results... The cooling rate
shown for curve 4 shows the
beginning of the Bainitic transformation just after 2.2 seconds and the transition
to martensite after 3.9 sec .
As soon as the steel has reached room temperature its „internals“ look like this:
2%-vol. Bainite and ~ 98%
Martensite, which results in a hardness of approx. 548 HV (~52 HRc).
And at long last curve 5: With a cooling according to curve 5 the austenitic
structure at first remains stable
until it has reached 340°C (within ~2.5 seconds (!)) and then the formation of
martensite begins.
When the steel has cooled to room temperature in little less then 10 seconds it‘s
microstructure consists of pure
martensite at 760 HV (~ 61HRc).
If we now go over the practical meaning of the process of turning a 1045 unhardened
blade into a heat treated
knife blade (with a martensitic structure) the TTT diagram reveals the following
very important information:
1) The austenitization temperature is at 880°C
2) The holding time is really short (it‘s actually almost nil) (however I have to
mention that a holding
time is considered a „holding time“ only as soon as the whole steel is at the
desired (880°C) temperature... so
this varies for with the actual thickness of a specific material)
3) To form „pure“ martensite the Blade needs to be cooled to 340°C within 2.5
seconds. (This helps choosing
the quenching medium, and temperature)
4) As soon as it has reached 340°C there is not much need to rush things... (which
helps to realize that actually
a lot of post-quench stress can be avoided with using the proper quenching medium)
Interpreting the TTT diagrams can take some practice but it‘s worth the effort. It
will reveal the steels secrets
to you and you will not regret the time you have spent on studying the diagram as
it will enable you to improve
your results and avoid (sometimes fatal) failures.