“Tracing the path between Damascus Steel and Beskar in the Star Wars Universe,” organized by Sigma Xi @noon 4/14, Ballroom B

The Mines Chapter of Sigma Xi presents “This is the Way: Tracing the path between Damascus Steel and Beskar in the Star Wars Universe,” a lecture by Dr. Suveen Mathaudhu at noon, Monday, April 14 (Ballroom B, Student Center).

All interested members of the Mines community and beyond are welcome to attend.

In the Star Wars universe there is no metal or alloy that compares to Beskar, the legendary “iron” of the Mandalorian tribes. Are you curious how pure Beskar can be extremely strong, corrosion resistant and able to survive blaster bolts and lightsaber strikes alike? Would you like to know how the clandestine skills of Armorer metalsmiths might contribute to the shaping and forming of an “indestructible” material. We will step into a galaxy far away to learn about the history of Beskar metalworking and contemplate some real-world metal-processing discoveries that may explain the seemingly magical behaviors of Beskar and its alloys. We will also discuss how some of these emerging technologies can be harnessed for the creation of new, real materials for extreme environments.

Dr. Suveen Mathaudhu is Professor in the Metallurgical & Materials Engr. Dept. at Mines. Mathaudhu’s primary areas of interest are centering around powder and deformation processing of metallic alloys and composite materials with foci on nanocrystalline materials, lightweight alloys and refractory metals, materials science education and outreach.

For further information: whereman@mines.edu