Patent ID: 8808474

Claim:
A method of fabricating a stainless martensitic steel, comprising: an electroslag remelting of an ingot of steel; a first cooling of the ingot, wherein before a minimum temperature of the ingot falls below a martensitic transformation start temperature, either interrupting the first cooling by holding the ingot at a temperature above an austenitic transformation completion temperature on heating until commencement of a subsequent austenitic thermal cycle, or holding the ingot at a holding temperature included in a ferritic-pearlitic transformation nose for a hold time that is longer than a transformation period sufficient for transforming austenite into a ferritic-pearlitic structure in the ingot as completely as possible at the holding temperature; subjecting the ingot to at least one austenitic thermal cycle comprising heating the ingot above an austenitic temperature of the ingot and a second cooling step of cooling the ingot, wherein for the second cooling step: when the second cooling step is not followed by another austenitic thermal cycle, the method further comprises a second holding wherein the ingot is held at the holding temperature included for the hold time, the second holding being carried out as soon as the temperature of the coolest point of the ingot has reached the holding temperature; when the second cooling step is followed by another austenitic thermal cycle, before a minimum temperature of the ingot falls below the martensitic transformation start temperature, the method further comprises either interrupting the second cooling by holding the ingot at a temperature above an austenitic transformation completion temperature on heating until commencement of a subsequent austenitic thermal cycle, or holding the ingot at the holding temperature for the hold time.