…his life. Kofi makes knives. He makes them by heating scrap metal in the forge until it glows, placing it on the anvil, and hitting it with a hammer until it becomes…

…his life. Kofi makes knives. He makes them by heating scrap metal in the forge until it glows, placing it on the anvil, and hitting it with a hammer until it becomes…

…and corrosion-resistant, aluminum is the default structural metal for aerospace and transportation. The energy cost of smelting has dropped dramatically with fusion…

Iron-nickel alloy sourced from asteroid mining operations, prized for its Widmanstatten crystalline pattern visible when etched. The pattern formed over mill…

Copper-zinc alloy with a warm golden color, excellent machinability, and antimicrobial surface properties. Brass dominates in ammunition casings, plumbing fi…

Copper-tin alloy valued for its low friction, corrosion resistance, and non-sparking properties. Bronze bushings and bearings remain standard in marine and e…

A metal alloy with an engineered nanostructured surface layer that produces angle-dependent color shifts, s…

The element that makes stainless steel stainless. Chromium's oxide layer provides unmatched corrosion protection, and decorative chrome plating remains popul…

…n control of cobalt mines remains a source of conflict. The metal's blue compounds still find use in pigments and glass coloring.

Essential for electrical wiring and heat exchangers, copper demand has never been higher. Mining operations on Luna and in deep-ocean nodule fields supplemen…

Uranium with most of its fissile U-235 removed, leaving a metal denser than lead with self-sharpening properties under impact. DU penetrator rods punch through arm…

…d onto a dissolving substrate to create intricate lace-like metalwork. The resulting gold lace is used in haute couture, ceremonial garments, and architectural decor…

A steel alloy with embedded metamaterial microstructure that allows radio waves, Wi-Fi, and other electromagnetic signals to pass through without attenuation…

A nanostructured steel alloy that combines the hardness and strength of conventional steel with rubber-like flexibility. Flexisteel beams can deflect 30 degr…

Gold's conductivity, corrosion immunity, and cultural significance keep it relevant in 2200. It plates connector pins in high-reliability electronics, lines …

A family of nickel-based superalloys with exceptional resistance to corrosion by acids, alkalis, and saltwater. Hastelloy is the material of last resort in c…

…nge absorbs water, storing it safely at low pressure in the metal's crystal lattice. Heating the alloy releases hydrogen on demand. These alloys make hydrogen fuel s…

A nickel-chromium superalloy that maintains strength at extreme temperatures. Inconel lines fusion reactor chambers, forms turbine blades, and withstands the…

Raw iron is rarely used in its pure form in 2200, but cast iron still finds applications in engine blocks, cookware, and counterweights where its density and…

Dense, soft, and cheap, lead persists in radiation shielding, ballast, and ammunition despite centuries of health warnings. Lower-tier communities still enco…

Metal alloys cooled so rapidly that atoms freeze in a disordered arrangement instead of forming crystals.…

…from asteroid mining operations, making it one of the first metals with a majority off-world supply chain.

A nickel-titanium alloy that remembers its original shape and returns to it when heated. Nitinol powers medical stents, actuators, and adaptive structural el…

Metal ingots smelted from captured orbital debris — defunct satellites, spent rocket stages, and collisio…

…erves as strategic assets, and it remains a Tier 5 prestige metal.

The alloy used to define the international prototype kilogram until 2019, platinum-iridium combines extreme corrosion resistance with hardness and density. I…

Copper sheet with a surface treatment that controls the oxidation pattern over time, developing a predetermined patina design as it weathers. A building faca…

Thick steel plates cut from decommissioned ships, demolished buildings, and scrapped vehicles. The steel may be decades old with unknown alloy composition, b…

The best electrical and thermal conductor of any metal, silver is essential in high-performance electronics, solar collectors, and antimicrobial coatings.…

A manganese-copper alloy with internal damping capacity orders of magnitude greater than steel. Objects made from this alloy absorb vibration instantly — tap…

Steel alloyed with chromium and nickel to resist corrosion. Available in hundreds of grades for every application from kitchen sinks to chemical plant piping…

…ion for centuries and still the most widely used structural metal in 2200. Automated mills produce megatons annually for construction, vehicles, and infrastructure.…

A precious-metal-based bulk metallic glass that can be molded like plastic at relatively low temperatures, then hard…

A soft, silvery metal essential for solder alloys that hold the world's electronics together. Tin plating protects food c…

The premier structural metal where strength-to-weight ratio matters. Titanium frames military exoskeletons, high-performance pro…

Carbon steel alloyed with tungsten, molybdenum, and vanadium for extreme hardness and heat resistance. Tool steel forms the cutting edges of drill bits, mill…

The densest commonly available metal, tungsten is used wherever extreme hardness, density, or heat resistance is required. Armor-piercin…

Sintered composites of tungsten with nickel and iron binders, combining extreme density with better machinability than pure tungsten. WHAs serve as radiation…

Salvaged rebar lengths bundled together with wire into improvised structural members. Where a single piece of rebar bends, a wired bundle of six resists. Use…

Galvanized steel wire woven into mesh panels — the universal barrier material. Chain link fencing defines territory in every tier, from Tier 1 shanty perimet…

…s provide cheap energy storage in Tier 1-2 communities. The metal is also essential in brass production and as a dietary supplement.

…y. Something is growing on it, and the something is made of metal. The structures first appeared in early 2190 — thin, metallic protrusions rising from the rooftop…

…y. Something is growing on it, and the something is made of metal. The structures first appeared in early 2190 — thin, metallic protrusions rising from the rooftop…