Quote:
Originally Posted by freebeard
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The temper of the Tesla/SpaceX alloy is no doubt stiffer.
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I am quite curious about the specs on this alloy, and the inner construction to support it. It may work like a drum-head for that demonstration.
However, I do know that hardening and tempering never affect stiffness, just how far something will distort before being permanently bent or broken. Stiffness is set by the forces between the atoms, while hardening just arranges the mix on a fine scale. Alloying elements are generally too low a percentage to have much effect on stiffness, and those for stainless properties are selected for their surface oxidation qualities, often reducing stiffness a couple of points, while banishing the use of carbon for cheap strength. Cheap stainless steel is often half the strength of common aircraft aluminum, but still 3 X the stiffness.
Other approaches to corrosion-free construction are aluminum or composites, either of which could be ribbed as on the Citroen 2CV for lightness. I also notice that minor dents have no affect on the service life of pickups. The DeLorean didn't rust, but it took stains from hand contact and much else.