Carbon nanotubes instead of carbon to make steel stronger?

[TempusExMachina]

I'm curious if carbon nanotubes can be used in lieu of the typical carbon inside of super steels like M390, for example, in the powder metallurgy process. And, ceteris paribus, will this make M390 a better super steel in terms of hardness, toughness, etc. without tradeoffs? All thoughts are much appreciated.

 

[sintro]

I thought you needed individual carbon atoms in order to form austenite and therefore martensite.

 

[darkaether]

A lot of the allure of nanotubes is the extended Pi structure that would be completely eliminated in heat treat if not well before that.

 

[mete]

A related but similar material is graphene which is super strong and perhaps more potential as a blade.

 

[marcinek]

I thought you needed individual carbon atoms in order to form austenite and therefore martensite.

That's the way I understood it.

 

[marcinek]

A related but similar material is graphene which is super strong and perhaps more potential as a blade.

As a blade, not as a component of the blade material, correct?

 

[Locutus D'Borg]

Nice use of Latin

 

[hardheart]

About as useful as graphite, diamond, or coal. Nanotubes are sheets of graphene rolled in a tube, and graphene is a layer of graphite a single atom thick. We already have free machining steels with graphite, it doesn't help in what you want a knife blade to do. If you diffuse the carbon atoms, then it's the same carbon as always.