# Gold: not so useless after all **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 22, 2016, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-not-so-useless-after-all/760573 "2016-07-22T10:41:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2016, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-not-so-useless-after-all/760573/1 "2016-07-22T10:41:58Z")
It seems that gold, one of the softer metals, can be used to make a [super-hard alloy](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-36855705) with Tungsten. Science Advances article [here](http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/2/7/e1600319.full). ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2016, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-not-so-useless-after-all/760573/2 "2016-07-22T13:54:05Z")
[hijack from your main point] Gold is far from useless. It’s a technological marvel. You can draw it into incredibly skinny little strands like human hairs or make ultrathin foil from it. It isn’t very chemically reactive so it’s virtually corrosion-proof.[/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2016, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-not-so-useless-after-all/760573/3 "2016-07-22T14:16:43Z")
That is very cool. Now where do I get an mtb frame made from it? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2016, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-not-so-useless-after-all/760573/4 "2016-07-22T14:26:24Z")
> [@swampspruce](#): > > That is very cool. Now where do I get an mtb frame made from it? 😃 Besides the cost :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:, it could very well be too stiff and possibly brittle for that use. I could see chains, bearings, sprockets being made from it and having a huge impact. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2016, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-not-so-useless-after-all/760573/5 "2016-07-22T14:27:19Z")
Not so useless? I see it was addressed in #2. It has many uses beyond shiny trinkets. And yeah: Bike frames! I have two titanium-framed bikes. If I can now get one stronger and lighter yet, I’m all for it. And don’t you come in here and point to carbon.😃 ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2016, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-not-so-useless-after-all/760573/6 "2016-07-22T14:31:47Z")
> [@wguy123](#): > > Not so useless? I see it was addressed in #2. It has many uses beyond shiny trinkets. > > And yeah: Bike frames! I have two titanium-framed bikes. If I can now get one stronger and lighter yet, I’m all for it. And don’t you come in here and point to carbon.😃 Tungsten has a density of 19.25 g/cm3 , Titanium is 4.506 g/cm3. I don’t think anyone will build a frame 1/5 current thickness. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2016, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-not-so-useless-after-all/760573/7 "2016-07-22T14:34:45Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > It seems that gold, one of the softer metals, can be used to make a [super-hard alloy](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-36855705) with Tungsten. > > Science Advances article [here](http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/2/7/e1600319.full). Wasn’t there a toss-off line on one of the Iron Man movies about the “iron” alloy in the Mk II and later suits containing, among other metals, gold? Yes, [here it is](http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0498784/quotes): > [@Iron Man movie](#): > > Tony Stark: Attitude control is a little sluggish above 15,000 meters, I’m guessing icing is the probable cause. > Jarvis: A very astute observation, sir. Perhaps, if you intend to visit other planets, we should improve the exosystems. > Tony Stark: Connect to the sys. co. Have it reconfigure the shell metals. Use the gold titanium alloy from the seraphim tactical satellite. That should ensure a fuselage integrity while while maintaining power-to-weight ratio. Got it? So, gold and titanium, not gold and tungsten. Well, actually, [maybe Stark was right.](http://phys.org/news/2016-07-lab-titanium-gold-alloy-harder-steels.html). ETA: Whoops, I just clicked OP’s link and found out that **Quartz’** restatement was incorrect. The article he’s talking about is announcing the same gold- **titanium** alloy I mentioned, not tungsten. Mebbe he confused the two metals that start with “T”? (Which is a good reason to start calling tungsten “wolfram”.) ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2016, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-not-so-useless-after-all/760573/8 "2016-07-22T14:39:58Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Tungsten has a density of 19.25 g/cm3 , Titanium is 4.506 g/cm3. > I don’t think anyone will build a frame 1/5 current thickness. Stop ruining these plans with your scientific smartiness. I guess a better plan for making my bikes lighter is to lose a couple lbs from me. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2016, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-not-so-useless-after-all/760573/9 "2016-07-22T14:40:11Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > It seems that gold, one of the softer metals, can be used to make a [super-hard alloy](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-36855705) with Tungsten. > > Science Advances article [here](http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/2/7/e1600319.full). except they said it’s a gold/titanium alloy. > [@wguy123](#): > > Not so useless? I see it was addressed in #2. It has many uses beyond shiny trinkets. > > And yeah: Bike frames! I have two titanium-framed bikes. If I can now get one stronger and lighter yet, I’m all for it. And don’t you come in here and point to carbon.😃 “hardness” does not imply strength. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2016, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-not-so-useless-after-all/760573/10 "2016-07-22T14:58:26Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > “hardness” does not imply strength. Didn’t know we were in the General questions forum. Let a guy dream of his future 10lb road bike. To all future posters that bring up problems with my dream of a strong, lightweight bicycle frame based on this new allow: I put 2 seconds of thought into it. I was merely replying in jest to a previous poster. Go ahead and pick on the OP for saying that gold is useless. I think that is the bigger offense. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2016, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-not-so-useless-after-all/760573/11 "2016-07-22T15:11:49Z")
> [@wguy123](#): > > Didn’t know we were in the General questions forum. > > Let a guy dream of his future 10lb road bike. Psuedo-General Questions. 😃 You need to work on your motor, son. 😃 There’s little more satisfying than going to the local bike club with a mtn. bike kitted out for commuting, getting in the lead group and _keeping up._ rc, semi-Fred ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2016, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-not-so-useless-after-all/760573/12 "2016-07-22T16:21:25Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Psuedo-General Questions. 😃 > > You need to work on your motor, son. 😃 > > There’s little more satisfying than going to the local bike club with a mtn. bike kitted out for commuting, getting in the lead group and _keeping up._ > > rc, semi-Fred My motor needs lots of work - not enough pedal time this year! I have a rear-rack on a titanium road bike. I know all about Fred’ing. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2016, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-not-so-useless-after-all/760573/13 "2016-07-22T17:28:27Z")
I commute with a Xc Commencal 650b mtb and it is fun keeping up with the bent over types, even if it’s only for a little while… Besides, if people shelled out $25k for the early production scandium frames, they’ll shell out for this assuming, as noted, that it isn’t ridiculously brittle. In my early quest for unobtanium bike parts, my friend observed that if I lost 30 lbs it’d be like I was riding a zero mass bike. If I could have caught the little ferret I would have killed him… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2016, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gold-not-so-useless-after-all/760573/14 "2016-07-22T19:20:59Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > except they said it’s a gold/titanium alloy. Whoops! Mea culpa.