Method for making a steel article with carbides already in the steel and no deformation used in the process

A method of making a steel article comprising carbide banding, comprising the steps of:

• a. obtaining steel without carbides distributed within the steel, wherein the steel comprises:
• i. from about 0.3 weight percent to about 2.2 weight percent carbon;
• and
• ii. at least about 0.003 weight percent of a metal selected from the group consisting of chromium, molybdenum, aluminum, vanadium, or tungsten;
• b. forming carbides in the steel;
• c. heating the steel at a temperature in the range from about an A-sub 1 temperature to about 50 degrees Fahrenheit above an A-sub 3 temperature, for a time ranging from about 20 minutes to about 40 minutes to form an austenitic steel with undissolved carbides;
• and
• d. cooling the steel to precipitate carbides within a crystalline matrix and creating carbide banding in the steel.

A method of making a steel article comprising carbide banding, comprising the steps of:

• a. obtaining steel without carbides, wherein the steel comprises:
• i. from about 0.3 weight percent to about 2.2 weight percent carbon;
• and
• ii. at least about 0.003 weight percent of a metal selected from the group consisting of chromium, molybdenum, aluminum, vanadium, or tungsten;
• b. forming carbides by the steps comprising:
• i. heating the steel without carbides to a temperature just below an A-sub 1 temperature;
• and
• ii. holding the heated steel at the temperature just below the A-sub 1 temperature for a time ranging between 10 minutes and 12 hours to form carbides in the steel;
• c. heating the steel with formed carbides for a time less than about 5 minutes at a temperature above an A-sub 3 temperature forming an austenitic steel with undissolved carbides;
• and
• d. cooling the austenitic steel with undissolved carbides to maintain the undissolved carbides within a crystalline matrix and creating carbide banding in the steel.