[louie]

Standing at the center of the Quwwatul Mosque the Iron Pillar is one of Delhi's most curious structures. Dating back to 4th century A.D., the pillar bears an inscription which states that it was erected as a flagstaff in honour of the Hindu god, Vishnu, and in the memory of the Gupta King Chandragupta II (375-413). How the pillar moved to its present location remains a mystery. The pillar also highlights ancient India's achievements in metallurgy. The pillar is made of 98 per cent wrought iron and has stood 1,600 years without rusting or decomposing.
http://www.world-mys..._ironpillar.htm

[frogfish]

The ancient Indians were famous for their watered steel, who knows, they might of had stainless steel too...

[Rykster]

What about this part of the post?
Mystery of Delhi's Iron Pillar unraveled

New Delhi, July 18: Experts at the Indian Institute of Technology have resolved the mystery behind the 1,600-year-old iron pillar in Delhi, which has never corroded despite the capital's harsh weather.

Metallurgists at Kanpur IIT have discovered that a thin layer of "misawite", a compound of iron, oxygen and hydrogen, has protected the cast iron pillar from rust.

The protective film took form within three years after erection of the pillar and has been growing ever so slowly since then. After 1,600 years, the film has grown just one-twentieth of a millimeter thick, according to R. Balasubramaniam of the IIT.


In a report published in the journal Current Science Balasubramanian says, the protective film was formed catalytically by the presence of high amounts of phosphorous in the iron—as much as one per cent against less than 0.05 per cent in today's iron.


It's an iron pillar, so what else?

The high phosphorous content is a result of the unique iron-making process practiced by ancient Indians, who reduced iron ore into steel in one step by mixing it with charcoal.

Modern blast furnaces, on the other hand, use limestone in place of charcoal yielding molten slag and pig iron that is later converted into steel. In the modern process most phosphorous is carried away by the slag.


The pillar—over seven metres high and weighing more than six tonnes—was erected by Kumara Gupta of Gupta dynasty that ruled northern India in AD 320-540.


Stating that the pillar is "a living testimony to the skill of metallurgists of ancient India", Balasubramaniam said the "kinetic scheme" that his group developed for predicting growth of the protective film may be useful for modeling long-term corrosion behaviour of containers for nuclear storage applications.

[frogfish]

India was renowned for many items, and advancements in numerology and medicine during its golden ages (Europena dark ages). I have many pieces of watered steel form my grandmother, who lives south of Trichi. They are very beautiful.

[crouton]

Where can I see pictures of watered steel? I have never heard of it. It sounds wonderful.

[frogfish]

Here's a sword hilt:
http://www.simonray....%20-%20250h.jpg

The blades are prettier, I couldn't find a good picture...sorry

[magik touch]

Quote

Standing at the center of the Quwwatul Mosque the Iron Pillar is one of Delhi's most curious structures. Dating back to 4th century A.D., the pillar bears an inscription which states that it was erected as a flagstaff in honour of the Hindu god, Vishnu, and in the memory of the Gupta King Chandragupta II (375-413). How the pillar moved to its present location remains a mystery. The pillar also highlights ancient India's achievements in metallurgy. The pillar is made of 98 per cent wrought iron and has stood 1,600 years without rusting or decomposing.
http://www.world-mys..._ironpillar.htm

Quite amazing. But their are always some things that just happen to withstand for abnormally long times. In actual fact, from that picture, it looks like it is already starting to decompose.

I dont know weather the facts are right too, because Vishnu is a deity from the Hinduism and a Mosque is a place of worship for Muslims, which are completly different Religions, with completely different beliefs.

[frogfish]

Quote

How the pillar moved to its present location remains a mystery

There you go.

erm....many people won't like your Icon...

[angrycrustacean]

[Glacies]

wow, that is a gorgeous blade...amazing testimony to their skills in metallurgy. incredible article.

[Piney]

Also they used bog iron which is far more rust resistant than the iron from hematite ore they use today. The sad part about it is bog iron is renewable and forms in the bottom of acidic standing water were you have to destroy the earth to extract hematite. But the processing of hematite is cheaper. Here in the Pine Barrens a ore bed will renew itself in 7 years.
I have both a woodstove made of bog iron which is still perfect after 150 years in my den but my modern woodstove in my living room which is only 20 years old is starting to deteriorate.

Lapi'che

[cerberusxp]

CHECK OUT THIS LINK damascus

[cerberusxp]

There is another pillar some where but I cannot remember where it is not as tall as the one in Delhi.

This post has been edited by cerberusxp: 01 March 2006 - 02:41 AM

[artymoon]

I saw a speck of rust

[cerberusxp]

And this link pillar works now

This post has been edited by cerberusxp: 01 March 2006 - 02:53 AM