Problem- Need sugguestions for metal withstanding thermite or torches!

[Odin]

Most of you will probably think I'm insane for what I'm about to ask about, but I have a special project I'm working on long term, and material consideration is the most limiting factor.

I'm designing a special lock, a one-off piece of my own design. It's mostly for mechanical aesthetics, but I'm designing parts of it after a rare cold war nuclear sub lock I found through Blackbag- so it's not just pretty, this thing is seriously secure as well.

Here's the thing- my design needs to be machined with large amounts of wire & plunge EDM cutting, so it has to be a material capable of being machined with EDM (ie: conductive to some degree).

Here's the FUN part:

I'm trying to make it out of something that will withstand a thermite reaction!

I originally tried to design to stop a thermal lance, until I realized how stupid that was- those things cut EVERYTHING. Aside from that, a lot of people have access to or can make thermite, and the temps for that aren't anywhere near as high as a thermal lance (~8,000 F compared to ~4,500 F at top thermite temps, or thereabouts)

I'm not sure if it's possible to stop an Oxy-Acet. torch, as well... That actually seems more likely.

Idealy, the material would be machinable nearly only by EDM- the reason being, it cannot be drilled or ground by those trying to break the lock.

Of course, I know a few basic metals like Vandium, Tungsten, and Iridium have high melting points, but I'm not sure they'd work here.

Perhaps it's pointless, but I'd like to know:

1. What alloys (alusic, zirconium based, no matter how exotic!) do you suggest for this lock, assuming price is no object? (if you have prices per weights, that helps though)

2. More realisticaly (assuming solution, if it exists, is completely astronomical in cost), what do you sugguest?


Even if you think this is a completely ridiculous post for such a question, I hope you guys will have fun with it.

[Konstantin]

Well, just of the top of my head, there is always the "unobtainium", "adamantium", "handwaivium" and the "wishalloy".

Hope it helps.


Konstantin.