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trebuchet03 · 10-14-2008, 05:42 PM

Duff, technically - the steels we use today do decay as they are metastable (not necessarily 100% metastable, as the internal crystal structure will vary). They can also rust, but if not exposed to oxygen, it will decay (over a long long long time) into a different form of steel. The transformation is accelerated by heat (maybe other factors, but heat is the big one). This is how bridges in CA collapse when a tanker catches on fire underneath them and etc. Due to the very long time it takes for steel to transform (into a weaker, stable crystal structure), you have no need to worry about all the buildings with steel structures or reinforcements - unless there's a big fire (then, hopefully the structure is redundant) :/

But, that said, the results of metastable steel turning into a stable form of steel is hardly a naturally occurring product. Even moreso would be Aluminum, aluminum is a highly refined metal that won't turn back into bauxite (well, maybe it could - but the time would be immense).

Some Leisure reading:
Martensite

10-14-2008, 05:42 PM	#102 (permalink)
trebuchet03 MechE Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Bay Area Posts: 1,151 The Miata - '01 Mazda MX-5 Miata Thanks: 0 Thanked 22 Times in 18 Posts	Duff, technically - the steels we use today do decay as they are metastable (not necessarily 100% metastable, as the internal crystal structure will vary). They can also rust, but if not exposed to oxygen, it will decay (over a long long long time) into a different form of steel. The transformation is accelerated by heat (maybe other factors, but heat is the big one). This is how bridges in CA collapse when a tanker catches on fire underneath them and etc. Due to the very long time it takes for steel to transform (into a weaker, stable crystal structure), you have no need to worry about all the buildings with steel structures or reinforcements - unless there's a big fire (then, hopefully the structure is redundant) :/ But, that said, the results of metastable steel turning into a stable form of steel is hardly a naturally occurring product. Even moreso would be Aluminum, aluminum is a highly refined metal that won't turn back into bauxite (well, maybe it could - but the time would be immense). Some Leisure reading: Martensite __________________ Cars have not created a new problem. They merely made more urgent the necessity to solve existing ones.