steam turbine blades?

[clausDenmark]

today i walked by a site where they were dismantling an electric powerplant, and in a pile of junk lay the center hub from one of the steam turbines complete with blades, some bend some intact, i remember reading that the blades might be of stellite but would this be true in a steam turbine?
The axel is very rusty but the blades have a light grey colour, some af the blades have some small rust spots on them but not even close to the rust on the axel.

is this worth looking closer at and are there any foolproof ways of determining what metal they are made of? i have thought of using a magnet?

Thanks.

 

[R Dannemann]

There is a good spark test chart at

www.keenjunk.com/sketchbk/vg81118.htm which includes Stellite.

It does not include M42(Cobalt) which shows short red sparks.

 

[Mike Hull]

If they are magnetic, chances are, they are 440C.

 

[clint97]

I was told that turbine blades for General Electric Steam Turbine Generators was Stainless (304 or 316L).

 

[clausDenmark]

i guess your right, i have talked to a guy who is an engineer at a similar plant and he explained to me that the blades are of high alloy steel, and case hardened. he couldnt say what kind of steel, but he had never heard the word stellite, and he had been at the plant for 25 years.but anyway im gonna get my fingers on just one blade and see for myself, but thanks for the help guys.