Posted on 07/05/2002 6:20:45 PM PDT by ChadGore
Edited on 04/13/2004 2:07:56 AM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]
NEW YORK (AP) It could be the new superhero of metals.
More than twice as strong as titanium and steel, it doesn't rust and it can be cast like plastic and honed to an edge as sharp as glass.
And like any superhero, it has a weakness: don't heat it too much, or it loses its strength.
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
And the new one will faithfully reproduce the contour of the pits and corrosion?
LOL!
No, no..silly. you fill them with whatever you want..
And it doesn't have to be pretty.. It just has to be smooooth.
Do your research. Soft Steel melts at 2730 but is malleable at the temperature in the article.
Stay Safe !
Stay Safe !
And it does sound like a good art material, as someone already said.
I wonder what Liquidmetal v. 2 is going to be like??? :)
Can this stuff really hold 1 micron ?If its softening at 750F, the melting point is probably low enough for permanent molding or even die casting. If the shrinkage is zero then yes, they probably could. Though the molds would be expensive as well as the material.
With a mixture of the metals they mentioned they aren't going to replace depleted uranium. Those are all low to medium density metals, and the very purpose of using uranium in shells is its high density.
I'd be concerned about the long term properties of this stuff...does it start recrystallizing over the years even at room temperature?
-Eric
I have a bowl made of the metal, which appears much like stainless steel.
Well mister, I really don't need to be lectured on the iron-carbon equilibrium diagram, but I don't mind taking a closer look at the temperatures mentioned.
"By comparison, steel becomes malleable at about 2,100 degrees."
The only identifiable phase change "at about 2100 degrees" that occurs on the equilibrium diagram is the solidus that occurs at 2066°F when Ledeburite freezes for alloys containing more than 2% carbon (generally referred to as "Cast Irons")
The term "steel" is generally applied to Iron alloys containing less than 2% carbon, however the "soft" steel (0.1%) that you refer to, or "mild" steel (0.2% to 0.3%) contain significantly less carbon. Yes, these low carbon steels have melting points somewhere around 2700-2800°F if you ignore distinctions between the solidus and liquidus phase changes. But there is no phase change at 2100° in this region of the chart where steel would magicly become "malleable".
In fact, "hot working" of steel generally refers to metal forming that occurs above 1333°F -- although forming is easier (and preferred) at higher temperatures that are still below the solidus. Nevertheless, steel can still be "cold" worked at lower temperatures to the extent that it is still "malleable". Granted, it may be somewhat less "malleable" than at higher temperatures, but there is no critical 2100°F temperature where it suddenly "becomes malleable" as this article asserts.
Don't miss this one.
Wonder what kind of a sword or an axe head you could get from this... or even armor plate. Something to look at anyway.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.