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Back to the pearlite...
Pearlite is a layered structure of ferrite and cementite. Cementite is iron carbide. Cementite forms at two different times, during the cooling of austenite, and during the tempering of martensite. The cementite forms pearlite or bainite when it layers with ferrite at different temperatures. The carbides in cementite provide the hardness, while the ferrite (basically pure iron with very little dissolved iron) is tougher.
What are the specific conditions for cementite to form in martensite? If you can answer this, you'll have answered part of your own thought about Silver Steel. I can live with the idea that pearlite is a lamellar structure with alternating ferrite and cementite, but how does cementite form into bainite? Isn't cementite a single phase crystal?
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More thoughts on ferrite/cementite and Silver Steel
When austenite is formed at the CT the amount of carbon in the structure is about .8%. Silver steel has a carbon content of about 1-1.2% I need to do further research, but I believe the excess carbon atoms form more carbide, producing a higher carbide to ferrite ratio id est a harder steel. As mentioned I need to research this further, but that seems like a plausible explanation of Silver Steel's extreme hardness.
I'm curious as to how the subject has now been changed to include ancient damascus and silver steel which were not parts of the original discussion. They are pleasant distractions however and two of my favorite metals.