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A marvel of medieval Indian metallurgy: Thanjavur’s forge-welded iron cannon

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Abstract

In this article, metallurgical aspects of a 17th century forge-welded iron cannon at Thanjavur are addressed, including an analysis of manufacturing methodology based on careful observation of its constructional details. Microstructural examination of iron from the cannon reveals that the iron was extracted from ore by the direct process. Thus, the cannon was fabricated by forge welding and not by casting. Electrochemical polarization studies indicate that the corrosion rate of the cannon iron can be compared to that of 0.05% carbon mild steel under complete immersion conditions. However, the atmospheric corrosion resistance of the cannon is far superior to that of modern steel and can be attributed to the formation of an adherent protective passive film. It is concluded that this cannon constitutes a marvel of medieval Indian metallurgical skill.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. the Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering, the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur

    R. Balasubramaniam (a professor)

  2. the School of Physics and Materials Engineering, Monash University, Australia

    A. Saxena (a Master of Engineering student)

Authors
  1. R. Balasubramaniam
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  2. A. Saxena
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  3. Tanjore R. Anantharaman
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  4. S. Reguer
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  5. P. Dillmann
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Additional information

For more information, contact R. Balasubramaniam, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering, Kanpur 208 016, India

Tanjore r. Anantharaman is a retired professor currently with Ashram Atmadeep. S. Reguer is a Ph.D. student and P. Dillmann is an engineer at CEA/CNRS.

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Balasubramaniam, R., Saxena, A., Anantharaman, T.R. et al. A marvel of medieval Indian metallurgy: Thanjavur’s forge-welded iron cannon. JOM 56, 17–23 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-004-0265-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-004-0265-5

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