The surprising history of radiation-free steel sourced from sunken battleships

Since the first atomic bomb tests in 1945, all newly produced steel has been contaminated by radioactive isotopes. Isn't that a comforting thought? The fallout from nuclear tests filled the atmosphere with radiation, affecting the air used in steel production and contaminating the crucial material. For decades, scientists and medical professionals turned to an unexpected source for uncontaminated steel: sunken battleships!

A fascinating post by User islandradio on Reddit's TIL (Today I Learned) subreddit brought this quirky history into the spotlight and the conversation that followed was rich with additional information.

User LiveFree_OrDie603 shared that one of the best sources of low-background radiation steel is the German fleet scuttled at Scapa Flow in 1919. "Following Germany's capitulation at the end of WWI, the majority of the ships left in the German Imperial Navy were sailed to Scapa Flow," they explained. "There the German sailors had to wait while the negotiations at Versailles figured out how to split their ships among the victors. Admiral Ludwig von Reuter decided instead to orchestrate the scuttling of the fleet in violation of the armistice agreement."

Low-background radiation steel is essential for scientific instruments that measure extremely low levels of radiation. Geiger counters, medical imaging devices, and other sensitive equipment need this uncontaminated steel to function accurately.

User MorrowPlotting clarified the issue, stating, "They use air or oxygen to make steel, and since 1945, the atmosphere has been polluted with nuclear isotopes from atomic bomb testing. So if you NEED something with zero background radiation, you had to use steel made before 1945."

Good news, everybody! In 1963, the United States and the Soviet Union signed the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, halting atmospheric nuclear tests and significantly reducing radioactive contamination in the air. Over time, atmospheric radiation levels have declined to near-natural levels. Does this mean we can make uncontaminated steel again?

User herpafilter provided a nuanced answer: "Yes and no. Airborne contamination has decayed to almost natural levels. The big source of contamination now is improperly scrapped radioactive metals that make their way into the steel recycling system."

Modern foundries employ rigorous radiation monitoring to ensure the steel they produce is as uncontaminated as possible, but challenges remain.

Salvaging steel from sunken ships presents both practical and ethical issues. Many of these wrecks are considered war graves, and disturbing them can be controversial. However, the demand for low-background radiation steel has sometimes led to illegal salvaging activities. For example, several World War II shipwrecks in the Java Sea have been plundered for their valuable steel, causing international outcry.

User Buford12 shared that the concerns that remain to this day. "I was at Newport Steel and a load of scrap came in that set off their radiation detector. You would have thought WWIII broke out. The police came, the truck was barricaded off. The EPA came, people were wearing hazmat suits."

As technology advances, the need for salvaged low-background steel may decrease. Improved air filtration and steel production methods are making it more feasible to produce uncontaminated steel. However, the history of using sunken battleships for this purpose is a fascinating reminder of how past events continue to influence modern science.

This quirky chapter in history highlights human ingenuity and the lengths we will go to overcome challenges. While the need for pre-1945 steel may be diminishing, the story of sunken battleships and radiation-free steel remains an intriguing example of how historical events shape scientific progress.