Does anyone know if there is any info on Steel Manufacturing techniques, utilyzing electro/mechanical methods in order to create carbon nanotubes from the %C already inherant in the steel. In other words just modifying the Geometry of the Carbon the already makes up some of the steel.
I don't think that would work. First off, there's not enough carbon in steel - even very high carbon steels are only about 2% carbon. Second, the iron atoms in steel form a crystal lattice, in the shape of a cube, with another iron atom in the middle of the cube. Each cube is about 0.3 nm per side. Carbon atoms work their way into the crystals and displace the iron atoms. But a carbon nanotube is around 1 nanometer in diameter - that's 3 times as big as the iron lattice! So a nanotube wouldn't fit. One thing you might do, however, is make a composite - mix the materials together on a scale a little bigger than the atomic scale that the iron and carbon mix to make steel. Just like a carbon fiber bicycle frame or ski pole is strands of carbon (much bigger and not as strong as nanotubes) held together with epoxy, you could hold nanotube strands together with metal. Not sure it would be good for armor, but if you can figure out a way to do it, I'm sure someone will come up with a use for it!
