I saw a comment the other day that “steel forged before the nuclear age is very valuable.” and talked about the lengths they go to salvage old battleships etc. for steel made “before the Manhattan project.” What does this mean? How did nuclear testing permanently affect steel worldwide?

Question

I saw a comment the other day that “steel forged before the nuclear age is very valuable.” and talked about the lengths they go to salvage old battleships etc. for steel made “before the Manhattan project.” What does this mean? How did nuclear testing permanently affect steel worldwide?

In: Chemistry

Answer 1

Nuclear weapons were detonated in the atmosphere, starting with the Trinity blast in New Mexico (no Japan wasn’t the first place atomic bombed). Previously unknown radioactive atoms were released, and they went everywhere, including junkyards and iron mines.

Removing these elements in the steel making process is unaffordable, as their concentration is very low. Steel is not just used for structural things, it’s used for shielding in certain scientific sensors because of unique magnetic and radiation properties. When you’ve put up a meter thick steel shield to block radiation, it’s super-bad if the steel has radioactive impurities in it. So, you are willing to pay more for low background steel. Yes, large pieces of steel with this property were used to make WWII battleships, and it’s worth salvaging.