Not sure if this is the right forum but I figure I'd go for the shotgun effect. I just heard about this stuff and was doing a little reading. You can read more about it here:
http://focus.aps.org/story/v15/st20
and here:
http://www.ornl.gov/info/ornlreview/v38_1_05/article17.shtml
and here:
http://www.sti.nasa.gov/tto/Spinoff2004/ch_7.html
Basically, it's steel that by some process or another (multiple ways of getting there) has a disordered atomic structure similar glass as opposed the the crystalline structure we all know and love. Apparently it gives a substantial increase in durability and elasticity as well as high hardness. Granted the words and concepts they're throwing around are pretty vague, no hard numbers, but they would seem intriguing to work with in the forging community. I would guess the increased elasticity while retaining hardness would be great for sword makers with needs oriented more towards impact and less towards a razor sharp edge. I wonder how it would perform in a knife?
So long story short, anybody know of anyone who is working with this stuff, planning to, or would like to? It seems to be just trickling out into the commercial market so it maybe to early but just thought it was interesting.
F
http://focus.aps.org/story/v15/st20
and here:
http://www.ornl.gov/info/ornlreview/v38_1_05/article17.shtml
and here:
http://www.sti.nasa.gov/tto/Spinoff2004/ch_7.html
Basically, it's steel that by some process or another (multiple ways of getting there) has a disordered atomic structure similar glass as opposed the the crystalline structure we all know and love. Apparently it gives a substantial increase in durability and elasticity as well as high hardness. Granted the words and concepts they're throwing around are pretty vague, no hard numbers, but they would seem intriguing to work with in the forging community. I would guess the increased elasticity while retaining hardness would be great for sword makers with needs oriented more towards impact and less towards a razor sharp edge. I wonder how it would perform in a knife?
So long story short, anybody know of anyone who is working with this stuff, planning to, or would like to? It seems to be just trickling out into the commercial market so it maybe to early but just thought it was interesting.
F