Patent ID: 8657972

Claim:
A method of forming a steel, the method comprising: a) providing a steel alloy composition comprising iron, carbon in an amount from about 0.2 weight percent to about 2.0 weight percent, silicon in an amount from about 1.8 weight percent to about 5 weight percent, manganese in an amount from about 0.1 to 0.4 weight percent, nickel in an amount from about 0.5 to 2 weight percent, chromium in an amount from about 0.5 to about 1.5 weight percent, molybdenum in an amount from about 0.1 to about 0.6 weight percent, and copper in an amount from about 0.1 to about 0.8 weight percent; b) heating the steel alloy composition to a temperature of at least 500° F., and c) maintaining the temperature of the steel alloy composition at a temperature of at least 500° F. for a period of time sufficient to induce transformation of the steel alloy to obtain ferrite and carbon-enriched austenite, the ferrite being present in an amount of at least 80 volume percent and the carbon-enriched austenite being present in an amount of at least 5 volume percent and wherein the steel has a tensile strength of at least 1354 MPa.