Aluminum is weird to everyone

[Cstryon he/him]

Has anyone ever asked if Shardplate is Aluminum? I wonder if Aluminum is what makes Surgebinding with it difficult?

I think the surge binder has problems using plate because they pull the stormlight from the gems charging the armor, causing it to become heavy and useless. Also, I think you aren't able to bind the plate (Szeth always had to touch parts of the body exposed) because it's too invested to affect.

[QuantumHarmonix he/him]

Those are probably the more likely explanations, but I think they were all proposed before learning that Aluminum had other cosmere wide properties. It could be that shardplate is a fabrial that creates aluminum armor. The creation of the aluminum drains some stormlight, but when it's done it might act like investiture insulation. Where the stormlight inside can't leak out, and outside investiture has trouble sticking. The only problem I can think of, is that the oddities of aluminum might make it hard to do some of the exosuit type tricks of which fully powered plate should be capable. I hate being stuck between two thoughts, so hopefully someone can provide a WoB or other information that can resolve the question.

[Curiosity he/him]

Q:  Would aluminum give an atium shadow?  Like if someone threw an aluminum spear?

A:  The aluminum would not give an atium shadow.  Good question.

Heh heh heh. A WoB for the scholarly discussion.

Edited May 29, 2014 by Curiosity

[Kurkistan he/him]

Ah yes, I forgot to throw that quote (source) in here when I say it. Thanks.