Patent ID: 7459040

Claim:
A method of making a steel article comprising carbide banding comprising the steps of: a. obtaining steel with undissolved carbides distributed within the steel, wherein the steel comprises: i. about 0.3 weight percent to about 2.2 weight percent carbon; and ii. at least 0.003 weight percent of a metal selected from the group consisting of chromium, molybdenum, aluminum, vanadium, or tungsten; b. heating the steel with carbides for a time ranging between about 5 minutes to about 12 hours at a temperature in the range from about an A-sub 1 temperature to about 50 degrees Fahrenheit above an A-sub 3 temperature to form an austenitic steel with undissolved carbides; and c. cooling the austenitic steel with undissolved carbides to maintain the undissolved carbides within a crystalline matrix creating carbide banding in the steel.