Indomitable; Incapable of being subdued or conquered “Stuff Matters” written by Mark Midownik, is a well written book that explains why materials look and behave in certain ways. In the book, Midownik examines materials and attaches the history behind the material, scientific breakthroughs, and his own personal experiences. One of the chapters that I found most interesting happened to be the very first chapter, indomitable. I found Midownik's form of writing to be very relatable and found that he was able to explain things in ways I hadn't heard before. Indomitable is a chapter that is centered around steel. Steel is the same material that the author opened up with in his introduction. The story he told was very interesting and it got me …show more content…
Metals are made from crystals. An average razor consists of billions of small crystals that are arranged in a nearly perfect three dimensional pattern. It is the bonds between the atoms however that hold the crystals in place and give the crystals their strength. The reason for blunt razor blades is the constant collision with hair that allows the small crystals to rearrange into a different shape, making and breaking bonds and creating small dents in the razor. Metals have a crystalline structure that cannot be seen because metals are highly opaque. When viewed under a microscope, inside the crystals in a metal are lines that are called dislocations. Dislocations are defects in the metal crystals. Dislocations are what make metals great materials for tools because the metal crystals allow for shape change. The author uses an example of a paper clip as evidence to support the idea that dislocations are what allows for changes in shape. He explains that the bending of a paper clip is actually the metal crystals bending. He also makes a point by adding that if the metal crystals didn’t bend, the paper clip would snap like a stick. Plastic like behavior is achieved by means of the dislocations moving within the crystal. As they move they transfer bits of materials from one side of a crystal to another. The melting points of metals determine how tightly metal atoms are stuck together …show more content…
As the rust flakes off, a deeper layer of steel becomes exposed leading to further corrosion of the steel which became a chronic issue with steel. It was therefore customary to paint vehicles, bridges, and other steel structures because the paint would protect the steel from direct exposure to the air. It wasn't until Harry Brearley was given the job of creating improved gun barrels, that the creation of stainless steel came about. The great thing about it all was that it happened by accident. Brearley was attempting to make harder steel for war but instead managed to create a steel that does not rust. He was able to create a crystal structure where carbon and chromium atoms were inserted inside the iron crystals by getting the ratio right. The addition of chromium to the steel hadn't made the steel harder, which was what he was hoping for, instead it made the first piece of stainless steel ever known. The reason that stainless steel doesn't oxidize is because chromium reacts with the oxygen before the iron atoms creating chromium oxide. Chromium oxide is a hard mineral that sticks to steel and is transparent. It doesn't flake off and the film is so thin you cant really tell where it lies. The chromium oxide creates a chemically protective layer that reforms if the barrier is