Iron pillar of Delhi
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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The Iron Pillar located in Delhi, India, is a 7 m column in the Qutb complex, notable for the rust-resistant composition of the metals used in its construction.
The pillar has attracted the attention of archaeologists and materials scientists and has been called "a testament to the skill of ancient Indian blacksmiths" because of its high resistance to corrosion.
The corrosion resistance results from an even layer of crystalline iron hydrogen phosphate hydrate forming on the high phosphorus content iron, which serves to protect it from the effects of the local Delhi climate.
The pillar weighs over 6,000 kg, and is thought to have originally been erected in what is now Udayagiri by one of the Gupta monarchs in approximately 402 AD, though the precise date and location are a matter of dispute. It was transported to its current location in 1233 AD.
See also
- History of metallurgy in the Indian subcontinent
- Wootz steel
- Parkerizing
- Serpent Column
- Qutb complex
