A question we get asked often, how can I protect my steel against decarb during heat treatment? If you can protect it against decarb you will save time and money in abrasives cleaning up the steel from heat treatment allowing you to get closer to your finished size while the steel is annealed. We have three great products that can help you solve the problem!
Satanite
Satanite is a powdered refractory mortar that can be made into a thin slurry to coat the blade. It can also be made into a thicker paste for hamons and even used to reline your forge! The benefits of Satanite are that it is cheap to buy, has a multitude of uses and is suited to oil quenching steels. It can be messy to use though!
Condursal Z1100
An industrially manufactured product that has a unique chemical aroma! Great for any steel that needs to be heat treated between 600C and 1100C (It can go higher but it’s not recommended!). It needs to be either painted on or dipped and dried to form a bright green barrier to prevent oxygen get to the surface of the steel. While the initial outlay is expensive it will coat many blades and is extremely easy to clean up after heat treatment. We prefer this to ATP-641 for ease of use! It can be used on Oil, Air or Plate quenching steels.
321 Stainless Heat Treatment Foil
321 Stainless foil is a great way to mimic a vacuum furnace. It needs to form an air tight packet around the steel – be careful as heat treatment foil is one the sharpest things known to man! Some makers like to put a small paper in the parcel to burn off during heat treatment, but it is not necessary! The foil is great for stainless steels and tool steels that need air or plate quenching and is suitable for temperatures up to 1200C. If you are oil quenching the foil does need to removed prior to quenching!
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