Salvaging the German High Seas Fleet Wrecks of Scapa Flow (2005)

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24 pointsdmckeon4 comments

A most interesting paragraph for those who may not read the whole article:

"Since the first atomic tests in the 1940s all new steel is contaminated by the radioactivity that is present in the air and is drawn into the furnaces during production. When uncontaminated steel is needed for medical and scientific instruments it can only be obtained from metal produced before the first atomic test. So it is that small amounts of steel are occasionally salvaged from the Koenig to make instruments. Some of these instruments are used in the space program and part of a WWI German battleship has been to the moon."

Steel and lead. There are other ways to make low-alpha metals but they are expensive, akin to uranium enrichment. These wrecks are just the more conveniant option.

Fascinating read. I wonder if the remaining wrecks will ever be raised?

They're more valuable as tourist attractions for diving. Unless steel gets much more expensive, or there are new applications for large quantities of low-background steel, I don't see that changing.

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