by Acad. Vadim SCHASTLIVTSEV, top scientific officer of the Institute of Physics of Metals, RAS UB, Dmitry RODIONOV, Dr. Sc. (Phys. & Math.), top scientific officer, Yuliya KHLEBNIKOVA, Cand. Sc. (Tech.), senior research associate of the above institute (Yekaterinburg, Sverdlovsk Region) Zlatoust arms factory was founded in 1815 under the iron foundry--one of the largest enterprises in Ural in early 19th century. Its development is credited to the perfection of metallurgical processes and the improved quality of carbonaceous steel. For 100 years (from 1817, the first year of production, to 1917, the year the factory became one of the shops of the local mechanical plant) it produced all types of officially regulated soldiers' and officers' cold steel. More than three quarters of such Russian products were created there. In early 20th century, in peace time, Zlatoust produced up to 150,000 weapon items per year, and during World War I, these figures tripled. ARMORY SCHOOL: WAYS TO SUCCESS In the first half of the 19th century the factory used bloom* steel, which was difficult and labor-consuming to obtain: the blanks had to be forged over and over again. Due to the skill of an outstanding Russian metallurgist Pavel Anosov (1799-1851), whose life was linked with the Zlatoust arms factory for almost 13 years, the production of high quality steel for arms continued until * Bloom-porous sponge iron mass, saturated with slag, from which finery iron or steel is produced by means of different types of processing.--Ed. стр. 97 1854. He also introduced the so-called crucible steel--it was used to make tools and cold steel. Anosov implemented his dream of producing "Russian sword" by crucible fusion* in 1833, as he personally recorded in the appropriate log. To reveal its secret, he worked a lot to select the charge composition for smelting and its heat treatment regime. The master paid particular attention to the composition ... Читать далее