[TheForge] Iron-Iron Carbide Phase Diagram Example

[dann at wctatel.net]

As I scanned Bruce's discovery on Wikipedia,  the diagram mostly relates
to solutions of  pure iron and carbon, and the gradients between cast iron
and carbon steel. That got me back to an old question.

I am simply guessing, but IS cast iron a virtually pure solution of iron
and carbon,  and is THAT the reason that the scrap is valued higher than
vegetable soup scrap steel???

It is easy for a chef to make a wonderful batch of new soup using all new
ingredients, but like the old 100 year old soup, where everything from
yesterday's soup gets mixed back into the pot with everything for today's
soup, which means that the recipe must always be changed to taste.

Once we have vegetable soup steel, it is only easily as a base mixture for
more vegetable soup steel.

Anyway, besides the primary cost factors, one of the reasons I like
blacksmithing with salvaged  old farm machinery from pre- world war II, is
that it seems to be mostly carbon steel, vs the vegetable soup steels of
today. Some of the new hot-rolled mild steel seems to have variable
characteristics, purchase to purchase.   Could just be my imagination.

Dann

> Here's a great diagram I found via Wikipedia:
>
> http://www.sv.vt.edu/classes/MSE2094_NoteBook/96ClassProj/examples/kimcon.html
>
> Bruce
> NJ
>
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