Red-short

Red-short

Red-short is the quality possessed by carbon steel that suffers from having too much sulfur as an impurity.

Iron or steel, when heated to above 900 °F (480 °C), glows with a red color, the color being indicative of the temperature in circumstances of low-technology (today we understand this association of temperature with 'color' as being due to black body radiation). Good quality iron or steel at and above this temperature becomes increasingly malleable and plastic. Iron or steel having too much sulfur, on the other hand, becomes crumbly and unworkable (by traditional blacksmithing techniques).

The term "Hot-shortness" is also used to describe a steel which is brittle at high temperatures and cannot be worked. The element Sulfur (S) combines with Iron (Fe) to form the compound FeS - Iron Sulfide. This compound concentrates at the grain boundaries of the steel and is a lower melting point than the steel itself. When the steel is heated up and worked, the mechanical energy added to the workpiece increases the temperature further. The Iron Sulfide (FeS) begins to melt, and the steel starts to separate at the grain boundaries. Steelmakers add Manganese (Mn) to the steel when it is produced, to form Manganese Sulfide (MnS). Manganese sulfide inclusions have a higher melting point and do not concentrate at the grain boundaries. Thus, when the steel is later heated up and worked, the melting at the grain boundaries does not occur.


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Red-short — ( sh?rt ), a. (Metal.) Hot short; brittle when red hot; said of certain kinds of iron. {Red short ness}, n. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • red-short — red short; red short·ness; …   English syllables

  • red´-short´ness — red short «REHD SHRT», adjective. brittle when at a red heat: »Iron and steel with too much sulfur are red short. –red´ short´ness, noun …   Useful english dictionary

  • red-short — /red shawrt /, adj. Metall. brittle when at red heat, as iron or steel containing too much sulfur. [1720 30; < Sw rödskört, neut. of rödskör, equiv. to röd red + skör brittle] * * * …   Universalium

  • red-short — ˈ ̷ ̷| ̷ ̷ adjective Etymology: by folk etymology from Swedish rödskört, neuter of rödskör, from röd red (from Old Swedish röther) + skör brittle, from Old Swedish skör, skyr; akin to Old Norse rauthr red and Old Norse skera to cut more at red,… …   Useful english dictionary

  • red-short — /ˈrɛd ʃɔt/ (say red shawt) adjective brittle when at a red heat, as iron or steel containing too much sulphur. {Swedish rödskört neuter of rödskör, from röd red + skör brittle} …  

  • Red-shortness — Red short Red short ( sh?rt ), a. (Metal.) Hot short; brittle when red hot; said of certain kinds of iron. {Red short ness}, n. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Red Barrett — Pitcher Born: February 14, 1915(1915 02 14) Santa Barbara, California Died: July 28, 1990(1990 07 28) (aged 75) Wilson, North Carolina …   Wikipedia

  • red-shortness — red short·ness …   English syllables

  • Red Pine (author) — Bill Porter (Oct 3, 1943 ), an American author who writes under the name Red Pine, is an acclaimed translator and interpreter of Chinese and Sanskrit texts, primarily Buddhist, including poetry and Sutras. He took a degree in anthropology from… …   Wikipedia

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