I am by no means a material scientist or biologist, but I have studied a lot of them and have some curiosities.
It would be interesting to see how calcium doping modified the properties of the alloy. AFAIK the temperatures that iron smelts at is to high for the carbonate or phosphate bonds to remain stable, so most of it should have ended up as free calcium or phosphorus.
I also imagine that the type of bones have a lot to do with it, since avian bones have a different composition and density than say, a moose bone. Different kinds of animals also have evolved different metal doping concentrations.
Bone char isn’t super high carbon, so it’s possible that either the calcium phosphate or calcium carbonate is playing a roll.
But honestly, you’re probably not getting very much of it mixed in from primitive smelting or forging methods.
Low carbon is actually a good thing to help avoid including too much and making the steel brittle.
I am by no means a material scientist or biologist, but I have studied a lot of them and have some curiosities.
It would be interesting to see how calcium doping modified the properties of the alloy. AFAIK the temperatures that iron smelts at is to high for the carbonate or phosphate bonds to remain stable, so most of it should have ended up as free calcium or phosphorus.
I also imagine that the type of bones have a lot to do with it, since avian bones have a different composition and density than say, a moose bone. Different kinds of animals also have evolved different metal doping concentrations.
You’ve studied a lot of material scientists and biologists? What we talking here? Questionnaires or binoculars in the bushes?
Do you not have a collection of scientists pinned to your wall for display purposes?
Shhhh. You will scare them.