The hardest known metal alloy, and the hardest known metal in general, is a type of carbon steel, Alloy 1090. With a tensile strength of .84 GPa (122,000 psi) and a yield strength of .64 GPa (67,000 psi), carbon steel is surpassed in hardness only by very hard nonmetals, such as ruby, diamond, or aggregated diamond nanorods.
The best high-carbon steels rate an 8 on the Mohs scale of hardness, relative to ruby at 9 and diamond at 10. The hardest metals are still somewhat soft in comparison to the strongest nonmetals, based on the strongest bonds in chemistry, the sp2 bond between carbon atoms.
The hardest known metal alloy, and the hardest known metal in general, is a type of carbon steel, Alloy 1090. With a tensile strength of .84 GPa (122,000 psi) and a yield strength of .64 GPa (67,000 psi), carbon steel is surpassed in hardness only by very hard nonmetals, such as ruby, diamond, or aggregated diamond nanorods.
The best high-carbon steels rate an 8 on the Mohs scale of hardness, relative to ruby at 9 and diamond at 10. The hardest metals are still somewhat soft in comparison to the strongest nonmetals, based on the strongest bonds in chemistry, the sp2 bond between carbon atoms.
It is important to remember that the tempering process also alters the hardness, but by heating the metal too much you can cause the crystal structures to grow and enlarge the 'grain'. This is bad because it makes the metal less dense and less structurally sound. Also it should be noted that tempering the metal increases brittleness as well, so it comes down to a balancing act of tempering the metal without making it too brittle.
By adding nickel to the mix you can increase hardness as well, but if too much is added this can make the alloy impossible to temper even in a cold brine solution. This will also add resistance to oxidization.
I forge knives so I kind of have to know this stuff
I once walked a forest at night while listening to Sunn 0))), it was surreal.
Out of curiosity I have downloaded Monoliths & Dimensions. It's 1:33, I've got my iPod, my walking/'coon beatin' stick, and no flash light. Here we go...
Well, that was one of the more surreal, beautiful, and awe-inspiring experiences in recent memory.
On a particular music message board, someone made the comment that metal is more or less comedy, and Sunn O))) "looks silly, and when you listen to them, they even sound silly." I responded with, "Too deep for you, like the Mariana Trench to fucking birds." Some clever cat with Photoshop then produced this helpful diagram:
Comments
(Excuse my French.)
I do like Cynic very much, though.
I mean, it depends on the elements you like from BtBaM.
I checked them out, pretty amazing.
I shall continue listening, thanks!
The best high-carbon steels rate an 8 on the Mohs scale of hardness, relative to ruby at 9 and diamond at 10. The hardest metals are still somewhat soft in comparison to the strongest nonmetals, based on the strongest bonds in chemistry, the sp2 bond between carbon atoms.
By adding nickel to the mix you can increase hardness as well, but if too much is added this can make the alloy impossible to temper even in a cold brine solution. This will also add resistance to oxidization.
I forge knives so I kind of have to know this stuff
I once walked a forest at night while listening to Sunn 0))), it was surreal.
Well, that was one of the more surreal, beautiful, and awe-inspiring experiences in recent memory.
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