1 Strain Hardening and Tensile Properties

The desire for stronger steels probably goes back to the origins of the first transformations of a mixture of ore and charcoal into iron. This was done by the Chalybes and the Hittites in the South Caucasus. The Hittites were certainly the first to use iron in weaponry, as Hittite cuneiform tablets from the 18th-century BCE indicate the production of iron weapons. As for the Chalybes, they were the first metallurgists to produce steel at the beginning of the first millennium BCE: “the hard iron of the Chalybes” was much sought after for its hardness. The desire to have stronger steels increased during the Iron Age. It was discovered that heat treatment in carbonaceous residues followed by tempering allowed the manufacture of very resistant weapons and tools. It is necessary to remember that at that time, weapons were mainly cast in bronze, and whoever mastered the manufacture of more resistant weapons had a strategic advantage that allowed them to establish their domination.