out there have been gearing up for a new season,

we’ve been working hard with cosplaying chemistry

fanatic Ryan Consell to unlock the scientific secrets

of the most sought-after alloy

in Westeros, Valyrian steel.

When it comes to next-level swords, Valyrian steel

is the lightest, sharpest, hardest-knocking or

slaughterhouse blade that any fanboy

fangirl could ever dreamed up.

Legend says it’s the magic spells and

Dragonfire that make this steel so great.

But is it possible to legitimately forge such

a powerhouse metal with real-life materials?

(Reactions Splash)

Ryan: “In order to know about magic steel,

you’ve got to know about real steel.

Steel is an alloy – a combination of

two or more metallic elements.

Steel is mostly made of iron, but it

has some other additions, including

a mandatory amount of carbon – up to 2%.

Even a small change in the quantity of materials

in an alloy, can dramatically change

the properties of the end materials.”

The characteristics of Valyrian steel

can give us a lot of clues to its composition.

This super material is described as being incredibly

sharp, light, strong, super heat resistant, and

dark in color with distinct ripple patterns.

Ryan: “Strength and sharpness are going

to require a fancy balancing act.

For a blade to be extremely sharp, it also has to

be very hard, which carbon can definitely help with.

Problem is, the harder a material it is, the more likely

it is to shatter, which is no good for a Kingslayer.

Valyrian steel would have to be tough,

it’s got to take a hit.

For these reasons, I might recommend a spring steel:

I’m thinking a 0.06% carbon and a

couple percent silicon and manganese.

This will have a nice balance of properties.

It will keep a sharp edge, bend without breaking,

and would be REALLY HARD to shatter!”

So then what about Valyrian steel’s specialty

of handling extreme heat?

A spring steel sword isn’t going to cut

it against high temperatures.

But check it out, lots of different industrial steels

need to be able to be heated and cooled while

maintaining their structural integrity.

For this reason, there is a class of steel that is

cooled off in the open air when forged, and

won’t lose its killer properties if heated up.

Air-hardened steel requires this complex

cocktail of elements, and you better believe

it would require magic in the medieval world

to get these materials working together.

So what do you think about that Ryan?

Ryan: “Well. This is a good guess, but Valyrian

steel’s color, patterns, and weight, make

this idea pretty unlikely.

Steel is consistently bright gray and Valyrian is suppose to be nearly black.

No matter the mix, the color of steel really doesn’t change.

On top of that, you really can’t change the weight

of steel, because most of it is iron, and iron

is really heavy, while Valyrian is super light.”

Also, the ripple patterns of Valyrian steel suggest that

it has been pattern welded, or folded.

This isn’t a sign of superb quality and strength.

It’s actually a way of compensating for poor materials

and trying to make a good steel out of two bad ones.

If the folding is done correctly,

you don’t have visible ripples either.

So that’s out.

Does that mean that Valyrian steel isn’t steel at all?

Ryan: “Maybe…..The best possible match would be

a metal matrix composite, which is a modern

super-material that has a metallic

framework embedded with ceramics.

One of these could provide all of the extreme

characteristics needed for Valyrian steel.

A titanium/silicon-carbide composite

seems like a perfect fit.

It has all the strengths, weight and color and

if the metal matrix isn’t perfectly consistent,

there can be swirls of varied shades

of grey running through the blade.

These sorts of composites are extremely difficult

to make and would require some serious

modern equipment to produce.

Needless to say, the Valyrians likely used magic.”

So there you have it folks,

Valyrian steel could very well be a

precursor to a modern super material.

But the fictional blades are likely

more alchemy than chemistry.

If you liked this video, make sure to check out

this other one that talks about a particular

poison used in the series called the Strangler.

Also check down in the video description

for a link to Ryan’s fantastic blog.

Thanks for watching folks, hit the subscribe

button there, and we’ll see you again very soon.