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Ian · 18th November 2006, 03:54 PM

Chris:

It's unclear to me what properties carbon nanotubes and nanowires might convey to steel. The authors suggest that such structures might explain the extaordinary cutting properties and strength of wootz versus other steels. Since we are having trouble here agreeing that wootz per se did have such special properties, I would put the discovery of these microstructures in wootz as interesting observations deserving further attention, but far from conclusive evidence that they convey special properties to wootz and not other steels. Do we know that these nanotubes and nanowires do not occur in other types of steel? Do we know that such strcutures convey greater strength and sharper cutting edge?

I suspect that wootz is not unique in regard to having these structures. Perhaps Dr Ann can help us here.

The article abstract is here: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal...s/444286a.html

You can purchase the full article online for $30 (I recommend the PDF version) here: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal...l/444286a.html. Or you can go to your local library, get the November 16, 2006 number of Nature, p. 286, and photocopy the article for pennies.

Ian.

18th November 2006, 03:54 PM	#157
Ian Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: The Aussie Bush Posts: 4,031	There are many gaps between the observation and conclusions Chris: It's unclear to me what properties carbon nanotubes and nanowires might convey to steel. The authors suggest that such structures might explain the extaordinary cutting properties and strength of wootz versus other steels. Since we are having trouble here agreeing that wootz per se did have such special properties, I would put the discovery of these microstructures in wootz as interesting observations deserving further attention, but far from conclusive evidence that they convey special properties to wootz and not other steels. Do we know that these nanotubes and nanowires do not occur in other types of steel? Do we know that such strcutures convey greater strength and sharper cutting edge? I suspect that wootz is not unique in regard to having these structures. Perhaps Dr Ann can help us here. The article abstract is here: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal...s/444286a.html You can purchase the full article online for $30 (I recommend the PDF version) here: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal...l/444286a.html. Or you can go to your local library, get the November 16, 2006 number of Nature, p. 286, and photocopy the article for pennies. Ian. Last edited by Ian; 18th November 2006 at 04:04 PM.