
Salvaging the German High Seas Fleet Wrecks of Scapa Flow (2005) - dmckeon
https://addiator.blogspot.com/2005/02/forgotten-history-scapa-fl_110823866174264713.html
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billfruit
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."

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sandworm101
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.

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

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dmurray
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.

