Body-piercing jewellery made from stainless steel is banned in Europe because
the steel is 8 per cent nickel, which causes allergic reactions. The
alternatives, such as gold, silver, platinum and titanium, are safe but
expensive. Now, the British company Heymark Metals is patenting a nickel-free
stainless steel (GB 2 345 491).
The trick is to force nitrogen to dissolve in the molten steel alloy,
something that does not usually happen. But Heymark has found that it works with
a mix of 65 per cent iron, 15 per cent chromium, 17 per cent manganese,
2 per cent molybdenum and only…
