Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Why Your Silverware Rusts

Posted by timothy on from the hearts-of-stone-don't-need-to-rust dept.

Judebert writes: "Watching your stainless steel silverware rust is enough to drive a geek to apoplexy. Not that you care, just that it is stainless, after all. Well, some clever Brits at the Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine have figured out Why Stainless Steel Corrodes and published a like-named article in Nature. Science Daily, as usual, mirrored their press release. When stainless steel goes, the results can be catastrophic. Especially considering that the stuff is used in Formula 1 engines, industrial equipment, and thousands of other places. Turns out the problem is sulfur in the steel / chromium alloy. But they've also figured out ways to fix the problem without resorting to very expensive low-sulphur steels."

3 of 27 comments (clear)

  1. I've just got to nitpick by pyramid+termite · · Score: 4, Funny

    Silverware does not rust - it tarnishes. And stainless steel "silverware" is technically flatware. And no, it's not polite to play Asteroids on your Palm Pilot during dinner. Sit up straight and remember that it's rude to comment on the condition of your host's table service and for Pete's sake don't use your cell phone's vibrate function to shake the martinis. Kids these days - no manners.

  2. Re:"stainless steel silverware" by Tackhead · · Score: 3, Funny
    > Unless it's made of silver, shouldn't that be called flatware [dictionary.com]?

    Well, yes, but in defence of the Slashdot editors, they entitled it "why your silverware rusts".

    For Slashdotters, any utensil that (a) isn't a spork, and (b) isn't made of plastic, counts as "silverware" ;-)

    It'd make a neat Slashdot poll, though. Do you own:

    ...silverware (utensils made of Ag, often passed down through the maternal half of your family for generations, that sits in a velvet-lined case and slowly tarnishes until Mom decides it's time to clean it again)

    ...flatware (the same utensils, but made out of stainless steel, that you actually eat with ;-)

    ...CowboyNealware? (Hey, CowboyNeal! Buy me a pizza!)

  3. Re:or does it? by OuD · · Score: 2, Funny
    Oh.. i think it's a lot older than fifty years. According to nordic tales you probably have one of those +2 Swedish Knives of Bearslaying forged in the dark caverns of Kebnekaise.

    The metal, originally known as 'Ril' (probably etymologically related to the english 'real', used by merchants to differentiate between the 'real' metal and fake ones) was very valuable and, when found in the mines, the miner would usually run around screaming 'mitt ril! mitt ril!' which roughly translates to 'my ril! my ril!'.

    Many years later the dwarves adopted the commonly used phrase giving birth to the modern word 'Mithril'.

    Just hold on the knife.. ;)