Old steel

Jim McDougall · 12th June 2023, 01:32 PM

This is all fascinating, however I think the original premise here had to do with 'all' ? post WWII steel having minute presence of radioactivity due to circulating radioactive material from testing of A bombs.

The suggestion was that this radioactivity remained airborne and would be absorbed in the processing of steel so by testing sword blades it could be determined if they were indeed antique or modern reproduction.

It is understandable that radioactivity is naturally present not only obviously in uranium or certain other minerals in degree, but here the idea remains that contamination could come from trace radiation in the air.

12th June 2023, 01:32 PM	#1
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,292	This is all fascinating, however I think the original premise here had to do with 'all' ? post WWII steel having minute presence of radioactivity due to circulating radioactive material from testing of A bombs. The suggestion was that this radioactivity remained airborne and would be absorbed in the processing of steel so by testing sword blades it could be determined if they were indeed antique or modern reproduction. It is understandable that radioactivity is naturally present not only obviously in uranium or certain other minerals in degree, but here the idea remains that contamination could come from trace radiation in the air.