Steel Based Durandium Equivilant

[CadetNewb]

Do we even have anything like that? It's always bothered me that I've usually seen Durandium used left and right, while there isn't a steel hyper-alloy alternative. I always imagined that the two materials would each have their strengths and weaknesses like they do in real life. A military always has to consider choosing between the heavier but tougher steel or lighter and more fragile aluminum when designing a vehicle, and there doesn't seem to be any of that decision making in the same material class. I thought it'd be interesting to whip up something that's a bit tougher than durandium, but slightly heavier to compensate. Should I go ahead and do so?

 

[Fred]

As I understand it, Durandium isn't just a material you built things with: its armor. It may be one of the lightest, weakest armors in our setting, but it's still armor.

What's not armor is either more mundane hull plating (steel, titanium, ceramic, etc...) or stealth material. Hence, when references are made about steel, I quite of equate it to Xiulurium... except without the stealth.

 

[Luca]

Durandium can also be built transparent, so it makes alright for a visor too. IIRC, Durandium is a aluminium-derived alloy, using bauxite ore and a few other things.

 

[Fred]

Durandium is actually made of my surname+ium, which makes it far more awesome then aluminum and bauxite ore.

 

[Luca]

I thought it was named after Duran Durandium.

 

[Eistheid]

Does this mean that we can have Plasteel now?

 

[CadetNewb]

Honestly, an armor material is really what I mean to go for. One that's pretty low tier and so common alongside Durandium that it's often used in normal building construction. Walls reinforced with a cheap hyper-alloy fiber as an advancement over modern rebar would explain why we don't get super-overpenetration in the setting for an example. I probably wouldn't name it Plasteel, but that's sorta the idea. Another cheapass material that's an alternative to the slightly more expensive Durandium, that can also be used as armor.

 

[Eistheid]

As much as I was being somewhat sassy... I really do think that making this alloy almost plastic like in nature could be a cool way to make it stand out from the alternatives. It would be cool to have an iron-carbon polymer. Might also make for a decent shape-memory alloy if doped a certain way. Just offering ideas at this point.

More metallurgical options are nice... Though thinking on it I hope someone takes up the flag on the materials page.

 

[CadetNewb]

Well, we already got Steenplast to be honest. But that's another Durandium derivative. The thing that's bugging me is basically, "Where's the steel?!"

 

[Fred]

Then something new? Noobium?

 

[OsakanOne]

Iron/Carbon alloys honestly aren't that strong: they're either stiff and brittle or flexible and yielding but its locked into whatever properties its made in and the same is true of most alloys. But when you look at what actually makes an alloy strong and you start using nanomanufacturing techniques, you can get a bit crazy:

Solid state precipitation doesn't produce the most mazing results but that's largely down to the shape, size and uniformity of the nanocomponents and their arrangement and stability when heated. A good example is a formulation of aluminium, scandium and lithium who all have precipitates of a similar size, resulting in an alloy that while its chemically weak, its structurally very very strong.

These nanocomponents in alloys break down into core/shell morphology (forming the bricks and mortar) with higher topologies similar to those of diamond or carbon. The cores and shells need to be of similar size to get the best results. The goal is to have something that limits its growth and expansion under heat (and therefor stress) to similar or identical outer dimensions. Highly monodisperse core-shell particles created by solid-state reactions. The result? A lightweight heat AND corrosion resistant super strong alloy.

Its possible. Just do the math and find rules that fit what you want.

For the curious, the definition of a "hyper alloy" in metallurgy is an alloy with components that have said uniformity in core/shell composition.

 

[CadetNewb]

I'd like to think that I'm not that egocentric Fred. Maybe something like Stahlite or other would do. I'm basically sounding the idea to see if people would like having something like this to flesh out the background of the setting a bit.

Also, I believe you're overthinking it Osaka. The aim isn't to create the best material possible, but one to fit into a certain niche or gap in the setting to further flesh it out. Steel has always had a certain affinity for carbon, so it can easily be explained IC that the material copes far better with the inclusion of carbon nanotubes and the like than the aluminum based Durandium. That way, we can say that inch-per-inch, it's a bit stronger than Durandium, but also that much heavier in proportion to how much better its various properties are. Though it can be used for armor, what I had in mind was that this material would usually be included in building construction because it was cheaper but heavier in comparison to Durandium. Cheap is nice, but for use on a power armor, it's weight is simply less desirable, especially since the non-stainless versions are the most protective ones, and will rust.

It also opens up some more avenues for increased depth with fodder or low-end power armors we may face; having a faint bit of rust dusting its exterior or running down its contours where water has flowed has its own distinct visual flavor.

 

[OsakanOne]

Cadet, all I'm giving you is the reasoning, the theory. The hammer and anvil to shape your sword with.

Have fun :3