Oxidation
(wiki-TODO: Add some new illustrative image now the fruit browning one has moved to page "Fruit interior analogy")
A common concern regarding the feasibility of gem based APM is that nanoscale parts will oxidize.
(See: Common critique towards diamondoid atomically precise manufacturing and technology)
This is a non-issue though as the (surface facing) target materials are
either oxidation resistant or already fully oxidized.
See: Gemstone-like compound
Pure metals and metallic alloys are not a focus exactly because of their oxidation tendency.
And a few other reasons like diffusion and mechanical inferiority.
See: Pure metals and metallic alloys
Metals still can be mechanosynthesized under certain constraints like
- low temperature and/or
- constrained atom placement freedom
Advanced systems will be able to perfectly seal and safe-keep their internals form oxidation.
To give a weak analogy: Juts like an apples or bananas do not get brown inside so long they're not cut open.
Fruit interior analogy
See main page: Fruit interior analogy
Related
- Fruit interior analogy
- Pure metals and metallic alloys
- Chemical stability
- Passivation (disambiguation)
- Nanoscale surface passivation (old: Surface passivation)
- Macroscale surface passivation
- Passivation layer mineral
- Common critique towards diamondoid atomically precise manufacturing and technology
- Well known scaling law: Rising surface area per volume of smaller machinery parts == Twice the surface area of half the volume