New Miracle Metal may provide industrial Breakthrough...sources say
Adamantium is a very dense, artificial, iron-based alloy that is virtually indestructible. A sufficient amount is capable of surviving multiple nuclear explosions with no damage. A pure blade of Adamantium is capable of cutting almost any known substance, with the known exceptions of Adamantium itself and Captain America's shield. The ability to slice completely through a substance with an Adamantium blade depends upon the amount of force being exerted and the density of the material in question. Adamantium, its degree of density, makes a very thick metal capable of drilling with greater effectiveness than the Vibranium.
Creating even a small amount of Adamantium is astronomically expensive, and only a few people know the complete formula. Adamantium is created by mixing certain chemical resins together. The exact composition of these resins is a closely guarded secret of the United States government. When these resins are mixed and kept at a temperature of 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit, the resulting liquid can be cast or worked into a particular shape. After eight minutes, the mixture sets and becomes solid. Its molecular structure is extremely stable, and its shape can only be altered by precise molecular rearrangement. However, due to the sheer density of Adamantium, there are few known forces capable of altering its molecular structure.
Although True Adamantium is thought to be indestructible, there are at least two known examples of the alloy within the Earth-616 reality sustaining damage without molecular manipulation. The first involved Thor focusing all of his strength into striking a small cylinder of adamantium with Mjolnir, which only slightly dented. The second incident involved a battle between Ultron and the Hulk. During the fight, the Hulk punched the robot with enough force to slightly dent it. (Both instances were later revealed to have been only Secondary Adamantium)
Because True Adamantium is exceptionally difficult and expensive to create, various researchers found a more cost-effective way to duplicate it, at the expense of quality and durability. This alternate version, referred to as Secondary Adamantium, is considerably stronger than even titanium and is resistant against most assaults. However, assaults from sufficiently powerful weapons or beings can warp or break it.
In the Marvel Universe, adamantium is a group of man-made metal alloys of varying durability, but all are nearly indestructible. Adamantium was inadvertently invented by the American metallurgist Dr. Myron MacLain in an attempt to recreate his prior discovery, a unique alloy of steel and vibranium (which required an unknown catalyst for its manufacture) that was used to create Captain America's shield.
Before molding, the components of the alloy are kept in separate batches, typically in blocks of resin. Adamantium is prepared by melting the blocks together, mixing the components while the resin evaporates. The alloy must then be cast within eight minutes. Adamantium's extremely stable molecular structure prevents it from being further molded even if the temperature is high enough to keep it in its liquified form. In its solid form, it is colorless, shiny, and resembles high-grade steel or titanium. It is almost impossible to destroy or fracture in this state and when crafted to a razor edge, it can penetrate most lesser materials with minimal application of strength.
Despite its utility in armament and armature, adamantium is rarely used due to its high cost and inability to be reshaped.
Wolverine once discovered an adamantium-laced skull in Apocalypse's laboratory and said it seemed to have been there for eons.
The U.S. government has shared the secret of Adamantium's composition with certain allies, through the information has fallen into unauthorized hands. Attempts by the former Solviet Union to reproduce the metal resulted in the creation of Carbonadium, a weaker yet far more malleable form that was used to create retractable coils wielded by the Russian super-soldier Omega Red. Due to the prohibitive cost of Adamantium's creation, many parties have resorted to the use of a somewhat weaker compound named Secondary Adamantium, which was once used to coat the sentient computer named F.A.U.S.T..
The Japanese scientist Lord Dark Wind was the first to propose a procedure by which Adamantium could be bonded to a human skeleton. Dark Wind's theory was practiced by the ClanDestine Weapon X Program who subjected their former mutant operative, Wolverine, to the procedure. Wolverine's mutant healing factor allowed him to survive the process and induced a molecular change in the metal, transforming it into a wholly new metal, named Adamantium Beta that does not inhibit the biological processes of bone.
Dark Wind himself performed a similar procedure on the assassin Bullseye to replace some of his bones, while Weapon X repeated their earlier success with the feral mutant Sabretooth. A similar process was performed on the mutant mercenary Cyber to lace his skin with Adamantium, and the cyborg Donald Pierce once used the metal to rebuild his then-shattered form. The metal has also been used to coat certain robots, such as the superhuman-hunting TESS-One and to forge others such as the megalomaniacal Ultrons.
The Adamatco company in New Jersey has developed a procedure to coat objects with a thin layer of Adamantium. As a result, the plant has been targeted by such costumed criminals as the Overrider and the Absorbing Man, who sought to obtain Adamantium for their personal use.
More (aka a SOURCE) on Marvel.com:
http://marvel.com/universe/Adamantium#ixzz354gsmtQF
