Question for metallurgists

[Deleted]

Hi, I need material, which is:
-cheap
-stainless
-nonconductive
-incombustible
-strong (difficult to destroy)
-not dangerous (shouldn't be radioactive, toxic or something)
-long life material (something that lasts for many years)

Any suggestions?

[Gheld]

ABS Plastic.

EDIT:

What you are you using it for is a vital question.

Either way, ABS Plastic is pretty much the only common material that fits that list of desired properties.

[Deleted]

What you are you using it for is a vital question.

[Raphtheone]

In a large enough quantity, you should have a look at ice. No idea why you felt the need to focus your question to metallurgists, as ice isn't a metal.

It also would help knowing for what application and the size of the project. Ice is obviously not meant as a material for a construct with moving parts (like a gun), or where the temperature wouldn't allow it (like a spoon), or where it'd be simply impractical (like a backpack, or shoes), but ice would be great if you're planning on encapsulating a nation in a several hundred meter thick layer of a material that fits your criteria.

[Gheld]

In a large enough quantity, you should have a look at ice. No idea why you felt the need to focus your question to metallurgists, as ice isn't a metal.

Ice itself might not be conductive, but impurities in the ice are, making the ice conductive in essence.

Also if it has to be incombustible it's probably being used around fire, or in a high heat application. So your attempt to be revolutionary was bad.

[Raphtheone]

Ice itself might not be conductive, but impurities in the ice are, making the ice conductive in essence.

Also if it has to be incombustible it's probably being used around fire, or in a high heat application. So your attempt to be revolutionary was bad.

I can only speculate as to what the application is. For all we know, he simply wants a wall that protects him from a tazer. Or he wants to make a stick out of it to poke at electrical wires with. Or he wants to engulf the states in a kilometer thick material, which means it really has to be cheap and hold in place generation after generation.

[smelltheglove]

a rock meets those criteria

[openair]

I can only speculate as to what the application is. For all we know, he simply wants a wall that protects him from a tazer. Or he wants to make a stick out of it to poke at electrical wires with. Or he wants to engulf the states in a kilometer thick material, which means it really has to be cheap and hold in place generation after generation.

Speculate based on the information available. Non-conductive, incombustible, and difficult to destroy pretty much rules out CHEAP ice.

But i want some of whatever you're smoking to keep going back to "engulf the states in a kilometer thick material."

[Deleted]

What you are you using it for is a vital question.

Chassis for some kind of device, located in the middle of forest.

---------- Post added 2012-11-03 at 06:56 PM ----------

a rock meets those criteria

Too heavy, not strong enough.

[Deleted]

OP is making a doomsday device by the sound of it.

[smelltheglove]

Too heavy, not strong enough.

not all rock is equal. and sandstone barely qualifies as a rock. and you never specified weight criteria, and rock would about equal any steel alloy on the weight scale. as has been said, really need to know the application

[Raphtheone]

Speculate based on the information available. Non-conductive, incombustible, and difficult to destroy pretty much rules out CHEAP ice.

But i want some of whatever you're smoking to keep going back to "engulf the states in a kilometer thick material."

Back in elementary school I was always told by my teachers that I suffered from illusions of grandeur. Being the below to average intelligent people with little to no imagination, they just couldn't fathom that my world was much greater than theirs. Although they did have a point, I can't think small-scale, it has to be big enough to warrant my attention. It's not something you smoke, it's something you're born with. Some come out beautiful, some with a silver spoon, this is what I got. When faced with a situation without any criteria the possibilities are endless (like the one OP presented). There are three types of people, two major and one minor. The first are forever inside the box (aware of it or not), the second major type are the ones that identify the box, and go outside it (some more than others), but are still bound by the boundaries the box present (by identifying the boundaries in order to purposefully step outside it). Then there's my type; What box? I'm forever free to roam freely. Without criterias that anchor the thought process, infinity awaits.

And last time I checked, ice range from cheap to free. Run the bill on covering Canada and half the US with ice compared to, say, iron, and you'll agree with me that ice is the cheaper alternative. If not, I urge you to stop smoking whatever it's you're smoking.

[openair]

Without criterias that anchor the thought process, infinity awaits.

And last time I checked, ice range from cheap to free. Run the bill on covering Canada and half the US with ice compared to, say, iron, and you'll agree with me that ice is the cheaper alternative. If not, I urge you to stop smoking whatever it's you're smoking.

Except there was clearly defined criteria for the question at hand. The op didn't ask for your delusions of grandeur. Also ice produced from pure distilled water is more expensive then normal ice (which is conductive). But for your sake, we'll ignore non-conductive for a second. Incombustible, and difficult to destroy pretty much rules out ice.

[Raphtheone]

Chassis for some kind of device, located in the middle of forest.

Have you checked out the various types of insulation materials? There are lots of them that probably are too soft for you, but there are plenty of insulation materials for pipes, roofs and so on that are harder to destroy. They're usually inflammable, tough on corrosion, nonconductive, etc, as well as generally not being expensive.

---------- Post added 2012-11-03 at 07:24 PM ----------

Except there was clearly defined criteria for the question at hand. The op didn't ask for your delusions of grandeur. Also ice produced from pure distilled water is more expensive then normal ice (which is conductive). But for your sake, we'll ignore non-conductive for a second. Incombustible, and difficult to destroy pretty much rules out ice.

Ever read the Game of Thrones? Or wathced the series? I'd like to see you set that great wall they have up on the north on fire. I'll hazard a guess that it'll melt, not catch on fire. Now imagine the same thing only thousands upon thousands times thicker, and now try to destroy it.

If you need nukes to destroy it, it's pretty much "difficult to destroy", don't you think?

[Omertocracy]

Hi, I need material, which is:
-cheap
-stainless
-nonconductive
-incombustible
-strong (difficult to destroy)
-not dangerous (shouldn't be radioactive, toxic or something)
-long life material (something that lasts for many years)

OP is making a doomsday device by the sound of it.

If he is truly making a doomsday device, the femur bones of his fallen enemies should meet all those criteria.

[Deleted]

Ok, thank you guys. You gave me some nice ideas! I think rock(something like marble) will work fine.

PS: lol @ doomsday device

[openair]

If you need nukes to destroy it, it's pretty much "difficult to destroy", don't you think?

You dont need nukes to destroy any amount of ice. A flame thrower at most. No amount of ice is difficult to destroy. It may be time consuming, but time consuming =/= difficult.

[Raphtheone]

You dont need nukes to destroy any amount of ice. A flame thrower at most. No amount of ice is difficult to destroy. It may be time consuming, but time consuming =/= difficult.

You're just arguing for the sake of arguing. I'd claim that whatever you suggested isn't difficult to destroy either, only time consuming, but lo and behold you've only posted criticism, and haven't added constructively to the topic. Besides, you're dancing around the arguments. A flamethrower won't make the ice catch on fire (which you claimed it would). Eradicating more ice than you can remove with a single flame thrower, using a single flame thrower is difficult.

As it stands, my original suggestion nailed 7 out of 7 of the presented criterias. That is 7 more than you hit before the topic was resolved. Why are you even arguing? Makes you look silly.

[Theodon]

You dont need nukes to destroy any amount of ice. A flame thrower at most. No amount of ice is difficult to destroy. It may be time consuming, but time consuming =/= difficult.

I think you are taking the argument far more seriously than the guy you are arguing with.

What about getting something inexpensive and coating that material in something else that has the qualities you're after?

[cudomix]

Use fibre-reinforced plastic, you can easily mold it for any kind of purpose, it's easy to work with, and fits all of your criteria, just don't forget to paint it afterwards if you'll need it for outside use, UV radiation weakens it, feel free to PM me if you need any advice for it