According to Bill Swears :
Hi, I'm a fantasy and science fiction writer, and was recommended to
this group for a technical question.

Well, maybe 'technical' is stretching things.

I've written a bit where snaps and shackles were made of a steel. They
tested well in normal temperatures, but shattered under load at about
-40. I used manganese as a placeholder, but would like to use a correct
alloying material to have my 'expert' character tell the journeyman to
"try using a little less (or a little more) X" where X is my manganese
placeholder.

Can anybody help me? Have I provided enough information?

You've gotten quite a few followups, and what looks like some
pretty good information.

I am pleased to see a SF writer actually researching what he
writes. Please post here to let us know when the story reaches print,
where, and under what title.

Is this the name under which you write? I must admit to not
having encountered it -- but if you are publishing mostly in magazines,
I probably would not for quite a while.

Best of luck,
DoN.

--
Email: | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---