Metallography of a Modern Pattern-welded Steel Knife Blade
Tom Nizolek
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Abstract
This research explores the extent of carbon and nickel diffusion occurring during the manufacture of pattern-welded steel. The effects of the final distributions of these elements on the microstructure of the finished knife blade are also discussed.
Bio
Tom Nizolek is a junior in the Materials Science and Engineering Department at Lehigh University. Tom is a Dean’s Scholar, a P. C. Rossin Junior Fellow, and a member of the executive board of the Lehigh Valley ASM where he serves as Young Members Chair. He is the lead research scientist for several ongoing investigations into the areas of lamellar ferrous composites and directional eutectoid growth and has worked on a variety of other research projects at Lehigh. Tom received the 2008 Jacquet-Lucas Award for Excellence in Metallography and has given several presentations on his research into pattern-welded steels. Tom will spend the summer of 2009 doing research in physical metallurgy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
