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Impervium is an ultra high wear stainless steel. It is far superior to other stainless steels. It has excellent edge retention for knives. It is not as good as Talonite but it is less expensive. It is entirely non-galling and it is truly corrosion resistant. Once again think of its original use in minesweepers.
Classification
It is a sister alloy to Talonite (r). It is iron based and is a super stainless steel. Both belong to a family of alloys technically called "Superalloys". These were alloys developed for extreme applications. Think about the vanes in the engines of a navy fighter flying off an aircraft carrier. Tremendous corrosion, heat and wear. The Co/Cr alloys are expensive and there was a need for less expensive alloys that were also very resistant to corrosion and wear. Think about a minesweeper dragging the bottom of the sea.
Properties
High strength fully Austenitic alloy that resists galling and wear. Significantly lower cost to extend part life and lower maintenance. The yield strength is twice that of 304 and 316 stainless steels, in the annealed condition. Tensile strengths can be produced in excess of 200 ksi. Chloride pitting is superior to that of type 316, and the oxidation resistance is similar to type 321 at elevated temperatures, and excellent cryogenic impact strength.
Advantages over Other Stainless Steels
Impervium has a major advantage over all other stainless steels in that it does not gall or seize. Most stainless steels will bond when used in applications such as screws. This leaves you with a screw that cannot be unscrewed after a year or so. Impervium will make a screw that is workable for generations.
Impervium has about twice the yield strength of 304 Stainless.
Applications
Knives and Blades
The fact that Impervium is very wear resistant and non-galling makes it excellent for knife applications where there is movement. When used in a folding knife the knife will open faster and with less energy. The knife will stay tighter longer and not develop play that comes from wear.
MS-60 work hardens readily and will get harder as it is worked. The knife will get better the more it is used.
Minesweeping
Impervium is a minesweeper quality stainless steel. The navy obviously considers it non-magnetic. It is still a metal and can show up on an airport scanner, as do paperback books. Because it is used to remove mines in the ocean and on the bottom of the sea it may also be excellent for mine work on a beach such as Navy SEALs clearing the beach for an invasion.
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