Subtitles section Play video Print subtitles While all the Game of Thrones maniacs out there have been gearing up for a new season, we’ve been working hard with cosplaying chemistry fanatic Ryan Consell to unlock the scientific secrets of the most sought-after alloy in Westeros, Valyrian steel. When it comes to next-level swords, Valyrian steel is the lightest, sharpest, hardest-knocking or slaughterhouse blade that any fanboy fangirl could ever dreamed up. Legend says it’s the magic spells and Dragonfire that make this steel so great. But is it possible to legitimately forge such a powerhouse metal with real-life materials? (Reactions Splash) Ryan: “In order to know about magic steel, you’ve got to know about real steel. Steel is an alloy – a combination of two or more metallic elements. Steel is mostly made of iron, but it has some other additions, including a mandatory amount of carbon – up to 2%. Even a small change in the quantity of materials in an alloy, can dramatically change the properties of the end materials.” The characteristics of Valyrian steel can give us a lot of clues to its composition. This super material is described as being incredibly sharp, light, strong, super heat resistant, and dark in color with distinct ripple patterns. Ryan: “Strength and sharpness are going to require a fancy balancing act. For a blade to be extremely sharp, it also has to be very hard, which carbon can definitely help with. Problem is, the harder a material it is, the more likely it is to shatter, which is no good for a Kingslayer. Valyrian steel would have to be tough, it’s got to take a hit. For these reasons, I might recommend a spring steel: I’m thinking a 0.06% carbon and a couple percent silicon and manganese. This will have a nice balance of properties. It will keep a sharp edge, bend without breaking, and would be REALLY HARD to shatter!” So then what about Valyrian steel’s specialty of handling extreme heat? A spring steel sword isn’t going to cut it against high temperatures. But check it out, lots of different industrial steels need to be able to be heated and cooled while maintaining their structural integrity. For this reason, there is a class of steel that is cooled off in the open air when forged, and won’t lose its killer properties if heated up. Air-hardened steel requires this complex cocktail of elements, and you better believe it would require magic in the medieval world to get these materials working together. So what do you think about that Ryan? Ryan: “Well. This is a good guess, but Valyrian steel’s color, patterns, and weight, make this idea pretty unlikely. Steel is consistently bright gray and Valyrian is suppose to be nearly black. No matter the mix, the color of steel really doesn’t change. On top of that, you really can’t change the weight of steel, because most of it is iron, and iron is really heavy, while Valyrian is super light.” Also, the ripple patterns of Valyrian steel suggest that it has been pattern welded, or folded. This isn’t a sign of superb quality and strength. It’s actually a way of compensating for poor materials and trying to make a good steel out of two bad ones. If the folding is done correctly, you don’t have visible ripples either. So that’s out. Does that mean that Valyrian steel isn’t steel at all? Ryan: “Maybe…..The best possible match would be a metal matrix composite, which is a modern super-material that has a metallic framework embedded with ceramics. One of these could provide all of the extreme characteristics needed for Valyrian steel. A titanium/silicon-carbide composite seems like a perfect fit. It has all the strengths, weight and color and if the metal matrix isn’t perfectly consistent, there can be swirls of varied shades of grey running through the blade. These sorts of composites are extremely difficult to make and would require some serious modern equipment to produce. Needless to say, the Valyrians likely used magic.” So there you have it folks, Valyrian steel could very well be a precursor to a modern super material. But the fictional blades are likely more alchemy than chemistry. If you liked this video, make sure to check out this other one that talks about a particular poison used in the series called the Strangler. Also check down in the video description for a link to Ryan’s fantastic blog. Thanks for watching folks, hit the subscribe button there, and we’ll see you again very soon.
B1 US steel ryan alloy blade magic super Game of Thrones Science: Sword Making and Valyrian Steel 263 8 justbeyourself posted on 2015/04/17 More Share Save Report Video vocabulary