Steel its tensile strength and make the austenite form of the iron-carbon solution more stable, chromium increases hardness and melting temperature, and vanadium also increases hardness while making it less prone to metal fatigue. To inhibit corrosion, at least 11% chromium is added to steel so that a hard oxide forms on the metal surface; this is known as stainless steel. Tungsten slows the formation of cementite, keeping carbon in the iron matrix and allowing martensite to preferentially form at slower quench rates, resulting in high speed steel. On the other hand, sulfur, nitrogen, and phosphorus are considered contaminants that make
The Stainless Steel Rat outfoxed by the mysterious "Special Corps" — a crime-fighting organisation staffed with former criminals — and recruited by them in order to fight crime. Harrison used the story, with minor modifications, as the introduction to the series' first full-length novel, also called "The Stainless Steel Rat". Like other characters created by Harrison, the Rat is a speaker of Esperanto and advocates atheism. There are 13 works in the Stainless Steel Rat series. Based on information in "The Stainless Steel Rat Saves the World" it is possible to work out when the timeline is set: James is sent 32,598 years into