The term hardened steel is often used for a medium or high carbon steel that has been given the heat treatments of quenching followed by tempering. This is the most common state for state for finished articles such as tools and machine parts. In contrast, the same steel composition in annealed state will be softer as required for forming and machining. The old steel cable of a colliery winding tower Steel is a metal alloy whose major component is iron, with carbon being the primary alloying material. ... Quenching is a general term for non-radiative de-excitation. ... Tempering is a heat treatment technique for metals and alloys, most often the toughening of martensitic steel. ... The word anneal has several meanings: In metallurgy and materials science annealing is a heat treatment wherein the microstructure of a material is altered, causing changes in its properties such as strength and hardness. ... A lathe is a common tool used in machining. ...

Case hardened articles starting as low carbon steel can also be labled hardened steel. Case hardening or Surface hardening is the process of hardening the surface of steel whilst leaving the interior unchanged. ...