Monthly Journal of the Institute of Metals and Metallurgical Abstracts, Vol. 2, Part 6

1935, Vol. LVII.

Vol. 2. P a r t 6.

The Monthly Journal of the

INSTITUTE OF METALS

and

M ETA LLU RG ICA L ABSTRACTS

JUNE, 1935

Copyright] [Entered at Stationers’ Hall

MUREX LIM ITED

R A IN H A M • E S S E X

MANUFACTURERS OF

PURE CARBON FREE

MANGANESE METAL

97/98% & m ln . 9 8 %

CHROME METAL

98/99% & min. 9 9 %

S I L I C O N -C O P P E R C H R O M IU M -C O P P E R

M A N G A N E S E -C O P P E R T IT A N IU M -C O P P E R -A U U M IN IU M

F E R R O -C O P P E R e t c . e t c .

EEL BRAND

A N T I-F R IC T IO N M E T A L

Giving The Full Properties of the best high-tin bearing metals at

far lower cost

• • •

® This claim invites every investigation.

May we send you particulars?

A L U M I N I U M

BRITISH ALUMINIUMS

H e a d O ffice : ADELAIDE HOUSE. KING W ILLIAM STREET. LO N D O N ,e.c.4 Telephone: M A N S IO N HOUSE 5 56 1 & 8 0 7 4 { 5 L IN E S ) .T e /e g r a m s ; CRYOLITE, BILGATE.LONDON

L O N D O N W A R E H O U S E : 25-29, Pancras Rd., N . W . I . B IR M IN G H A M 4 : 2, La w ley St.

M A N C H E S T E R : Deansgate House, 274, Deansgate. L E E D S 3 : 66, K irk stall Rd.

N E W C A S T L E - O N - T Y N E I : M ilb u rn House. G L A S G O W C .2 : 113, W e s t Regen t S t.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________ J I M .6.35

A i i i

B I R M I N G H A M E L E C T R IC F UR NA CE S L I M I T E D

B ir le c W o r k s — T y b u r n R o ad Erd in g to n ,

The Heat Treatm ent of Aluminium Alloys

demands furnaces capable of exceptionally accurate and uniform heating.

THE REYNOLDS TUBE CO. LTD.

have installed for this purpose the two special 20ft.

long BIRLEC furnaces shown above, which employ Forced A ir Circulation by means of a patented type of C EN T R IFU G A L FAN.

T h e r e is a “ B I R L E C ” fu rn a c e w h ic h w ill p ro v id e th e sam e e x a c t c o n tro l o v e r y o u r o w n h e a t t r e a t m e n t processes.

i v

STRONG

D U R A L U M I N

D 1 ALLOY

i n t u b e s,

a ll purposes

m

e

w here stre n g th

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w ith lig h tn e s s

BAR®’t^ IRE’

i s e s s e n t ia l . JAMES BOOTH £ COMPANY

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W e s t o r n U n i o n

ALLOYS

COLD ROLLING MILL!

Metal sheets and strip are rolled on such four-high mills. Each of the tv housing screws is adjusted by a separate motor, an electro-magnetic couplii ensuring the synchronous running of both motors. The motors are co trolled by push-buttons. The main driving motor is controlled by a maste switch mounted on the roll-housing.

M AD E IN E N G L A N D For further particulars apply to

BROOKES (OLDBURY) LTD., OLDBURY near BIRMINGHAM

v i

Incandescent Furnaces

for all Heat-Treatm ent Purposes and for all Industries

Above is a Battery of Patent IncandescentTwin- Chambered, Coal-Fired Furnaces installed for the heat-treatment of the crankshafts of various well-known motor cars.

W e supply Furnaces for all Industries, Coal, Coke, T ow ns Gas, Producer Gas, Oil and Electrically Fired

also P Y R O M E T R I C

E Q U I P M E N T

Separate Brochure for every Industry

Your enquiries are invited.

INCANDESCENT

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CORNWALL ROAD SMETHWICK

— BIRMINGHAM —

Telephone: Smethwick 0875-7. Telegrams: ‘ Repeat,’ Birmingham.

v i i

POLISHED and PLATED S H E E T M E T A L S

Z IN C , TIN PLA TES, N IC K EL

SILVER, BRASS, ETC.

Plated with CHROM IUM , N ICK EL, BRASS, COPPER

Please send us y o u r e n q u irie s:

Sheets up to 84 by 18 in.

Strips 84 in. by any width. A n y gauge.

W. E. MARTIN & CO. LTD.

H O C K LEY

Te le p h o n e : N o rth e rn 2961-2.

M A N U F A C T U R E R S

BIR M IN G H A M , 19

T e le g ra m s : B E E Z E D D , B ’H A M

OXYGEN

Masterof Metals '%

The first Oxy-acetylene rod to be approved by Lloyd's for uelding parts o f primary structural importance in shipbuilding.

‘ Alda ’ S.M. No. 1 Rods for the oxy- acetylene welding of steel for all purposes where high tensile strength is required

S U P P L IE D IN 36" L E N G T H S IN T H E F O L L O W IN G D IA M E T E R S :

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••. I . — ^ B.O.C. Oxygen and D.A. Works *££:£:;M;i - in Gt. Britain and N . Ireland and 23'

v"i■!.¡i ^ in A ustralia, South Africa and India. , ; oV ; - : '• ■;:

* ’ ‘ _ •. . •. • . • 4 doa/e _ . . ; ■ i '! Q J •; • ;

For the economical production of tubes with absolutely uniform wall thickness we supply

TUBE EXTRUSION PRESSES

of vertical or horizontal t/pe, also the required power water plants consisting of pressure pumps and accumulators, the latter of the electrically controlled, com­

pressed-air loaded typewithout any pistons or floats, for which the H Y D R A U L IK Co.

owns patents in all countries of the world.

British Agents: Aabacas Engineering Co., Ltd., 10 Canning Place, Liverpool, I ix

a new service

to members

Members who find it inconvenient to bring to the General Meetings copies of the Monthly Journal containing the papers to be discussed, may now purchase one loose copy of each paper.

Orders, which must be for one whole year in advance, should be sent to the Secretary without delay. The service will commence with the Autumn Meeting, 1935, papers.

Annual charge 5s., post free.

V l f T Ç Ç — NEOPHOT— I

m L à B Lâ A f c J p f t J P g

Large Epi-Microscope & Cam era Large Epi-Microscope & Cam era

A N E W IN S T R U M E N T , designed on new lines. Covers every phase of metallography at magnifications from 2000x to less than unity, with rapid interchange from normal or oblique brightfield il lu m i n a t io n to dark field or polar­

ized light. The stages, motions and illuminators are all specially designed with a view to the utmost simplicity of operation.

Write for list “ Mikro 1 4 1 ” giving full particulars.

Carl Zeiss

Ltd.

Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer St., W.1

British Made by

L. O ER T LIN G LTD.

65 H O L B O R N V I A D U C T , LO ND ON, E.C.1 Founded in London 1849.

APERIODIC

& M I C R O ­ CHEMICAL BALANCES

Please w rite for New List show­

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x i

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TA S/O r. n6

VITREOSIL MUFFLES

THE

THERMAL SYNDICATE I™

V IT R E O S IL W O R K S W A L L S E N D - O N - T Y N E

London D e p o t:

Thermal House, Old Pye Street, S .W . I

V IT R E O S IL , pure fused silica, withstands heat up to II0 0 °C . and is unaffected over long p e r io d s . It is t h e r e f o r e eminently suitable for muffles used for all metallurgical pur­

poses, heat-treatment, labora­

to ry testing, etc. C ircular muffles as illustrated are made up to 10 ft. in length; other shapes and sizes are obtainable.

STERLING METALS LTD

SAND A N D DIE CAS TINGS

R FC NO 5 2 9 6 7 8 T R O L L E Y B U S M O T O R

E N D H O U S IN G

M A G N E S I U M ALLOYS

T elep h o n es:

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T eleg ram s:

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C O V E N T R Y

x i i

E F C O

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Phone: V IC T O R IA 9124-5-6-7 C ram s: ELECTRIFUR, PH O N E, LONDON

mmmmmmmm Lindunt

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a b le t o s u p p l y r e f r a c t o r y m a t ­ e ria ls o f h i g h q u a l i t y s u it a b le f o r m o s t i n d u s t r i a l pu rp o se s.

In o u r v a r i o u s w o rk s , w h i c h a r e m o d e r n in d e s i g n a n d e q u i p m e n t , c a r e is t a k e n in e v e r y s t a g e o f m a n u f a c t u r e to e n s u r e t h a t o u r p r o d u c t s a re m a i n t a i n e d a t a u n i f o r m l y

h i g h s t a n d a r d .

For fu lle r particulars, ask fo r our Pam phlet, No. 1.

SCOTLAND

x i v

ADVT OF SIEMENS-SCHUCKERT(GREAT BRITAIN) LTD. 30/34NewBridgeSt.LondonE.C.4-PhoneCent846

INDEX TO ADVERTISERS

JUNE, 1935 Anglo-American Oil Co., Ltd. .

Avery, Ltd., W . & T.

Birmingham Electric Furnaces, Ltd.

Bolton & Sons, Ltd., Thomas . Booth & Co. (1915), Ltd., James British Aluminium Co., Ltd., The British Commercial Gas Assoc., The British Metal Corporation, Ltd

The .

British Oxygen Co., Ltd., The Brookes (Oldbury), Ltd. . Carborundum Co., Ltd., The Consolidated Tin Smelters, Ltd Demag A.G.

Ebonestos Insulators, Ltd.

Electric Resistance Furnace Co., Ltd Electroflo Meters Co., Ltd.

Elliott Bros. (London), Ltd.

Elton, Levy & Co., Ltd. . Fordath Engineering Co., Ltd.

Foster Instrument Co.

Foundry Services, Ltd.

General Electric Co., Ltd.

H igh-Duty Alloys, Ltd. .

V

iii xvii xxi viii vi

Hilger, Ltd., Adam Hydraulik G.m.b.H.

I.C.I. Metals, Ltd. . Incandescent Heat Co., Ltd.

Johnson, Matthey & Co., Ltd. . Leitz (London), E. .

McGraw-Hill Publishing Co., Ltd.

MeKechnie Bros., Ltd.

Martin, W . E. & Co., Ltd.

Metropolitan-Vickers, Ltd.

Murex, Ltd. . . . . National Alloys, Ltd.

Northern Aluminium Co., Ltd. . Oertling, Ltd., L.

Pearson, Ltd., E. J. & J.

Priestman, Ltd., J. J.

Ratcliff (Metals) Ltd., J. F.

Siemens-Schuckert (Gt. Britain) Ltd.

Stein & Co., Ltd., John G.

Sterling Metals, Ltd.

Stewarts and Lloyds, Ltd.

Thermal Syndicate, Ltd. .

Wild-Barfield Electric Furnaces, Ltc Zeiss (London), Ltd., Carl

15

xxii vi; xviii

X X

xvi

X V

x iv xii

x v i

Quality is a m atter of comparison

and it matters very much, when you are buying rolled metal, what standard you use to make your comparison.

If you have seen LU ST ER Metal produced ; followed the process from start to finish, watched the patient testing of raw materials, admired the modern electric an­

nealing process, noted the almost meticulous care taken in each stage of manufacture, you will be con­

vinced that here is your standard for Rolled Metal . . . LUSTER.

T h e p h o to g ra p h sh o w s som e finished rolls and strips waiting delivery instructions.

J. F. RATCLIFF (METALS) LTD.,

BIRMINGHAM

Te le p h o n e : A sto n C ro ss 3576/7.

The exact temperature cheaply—

What commends gas to industrialists is chiefly its ease of control—the tem­

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— automatically.

But note these other points. Gas does away with

1. Fuel storage space.

2. Fuel handling costs.

3. Ash storage space.

4. Ash handling costs.

5. Damage to plant from fly-ash.

6. All but a minimum of supervision.

7. GAS NEVER FAILS.

For these general reasons, and par­

ticular reasons applying to your industry, which we will send you on request, gas should be carrying out all your heat processes.

The Gas Industry is anxious to help you apply Gas to your processes conveniently and economically. They will design plant, and, if necessary, build it.

Write to the^Br i t i s h c o m m e r c i a l g a s a s s o c i a t i o n, 28 Grosvenor Gardens

,

,

x v i i

JOHNSON M A T T H E Y &■ CO. LTD

73/Ö3, HATTON GARDEN, LONDON EC.I.

SlÄYßRITE STEEL

CAUZE Willi;

The process of drawing fine “ Staybrite ” steel wires has been rapidly developed, and for some time past Johnson Matthey have been supplying fully annealed wires with a mirror-like finish down to -0005" dia. They have specialized in gauzes woven from these fine wires, and offer “ Staybrite ” steel w ire woven into all the forms into which other materials can be woven. Owing to the great strength of this wire, even when fully annealed, a lighter, and, therefore, more economical gauge can often be used.

“ S ta y b rite ” steel gauze and w ire are invaluable in most i n d u s t r i e s b e c a u s e o f t h e corrosion-resisting property of the metal.

Send to -d ay f o n this descrip tive P u b lica ­

t io n No. 80.

x v i i i

Editorial Office : 36 Victoria Street,

London, S.W .l.

Telephone : Victoria 2320.

Monthly Journal of the

INSTITUTE OF ETALS

:-KA

dvertising Department: T. G. Scott & Son,

Ltd.

63 Ludgate Hill, London, E.C.4.

TELEPHONE:

C ity 4211 (2 lines).

Assistant Editor:

S. 0. GUILLAN.

V o lu m e 2\V “ ’ “ ‘•A

—

J U N E , 1935 P a r t 6

<% w i c # y' CONTENTS

By

Institute News and A n n o u n c e m e n t s ...

Papers to be Read at the Autumn Meeting : 7 0 3 . "M e t a l Losses in M elting Brass and Other Copper Alloys.

M aurice Cook, M .S c., P h .D . . . . . . . . 7 0 4 . “ T h e Properties o f Som e Special Bronzes.” By Professor D . Hanson,

D .S c., and M . A . Wheeler . . . . . . . . 7 0 5 . " T h e Inter-Relation o f Age-Hardening and Creep Performance.

Part I.— T h e Age-Hardening o f N ickel-Silicon-C opper Alloys.” By C. H . M . Jenkins, D .S c., A .R .S .M ., and E. H . Bucknall, M .S c. With an Appendix on the Relationship o f T im e, Temperature, and Con­

centration as Factors in Age-H ardening, b y E. H . Bucknall, M .S c., and C . H . M . Jenkins, D .S c., A .R .S .M . . . . . . . 7 0 6 . " T h e Determination of Certain Phase Boundaries in the Silver-Zinc

Therm al Diagram b y X -R a y Analysis.” By Professor E. A . Owen, M .A ., D .S c., and I. G . Edmunds, M .S c. . . . . . . 7 0 7 . " N o t e on the Failure o f a G old Fuse in Contact with N ickel-

Chromium A lloy.” By M . C. Caplan, B .Sc. . .

7 0 8 . “ Production o f Powdered Alloys o f L ow M elting Point. By R . W . Rees, B .S c.

Author Index to " Metallurgical Abstracts ” . . . . . . M E T A L L U R G I C A L A B S T R A C T S

I. P roperties o f Metals . . . . . • •

I I . P roperties o f A lloy s . . . . . • • I I I . Structure (M etallography; M a crograp h y ; Crystal S tru c­

ture) IV . Corrosion

V . P rotection (oth er than E lectrodeposition )

V I . E lectrodep osition . . . . • • • ■

V I I . E lectrom etallurgy and E lectroch em istry (other than E lectro-

deposition) . . . . ■ • • •

- V I I I . Refining I X . Analysis

X . L a b ora tory A pparatus, Instrum ents, &c . . . . . X I . Physical and M echanical Testing, In sp ection , and R a d iology X I I . Tem perature M easurem ent and C ontrol . . . . X I I I . F ou n d ry P ractice and A p p l i a n c e s ...

X I V . Secondary Metals : Scrap, R esidues, &c.

X V . Furnaces and Fuels

X V I . R efractories and Furnace M aterials . . . . X V I I . H eat-T reatm ent . . . • • • • X V I I I . W o r k i n g ...

X I X . Cleaning and Finishing . . . . . . . X X . Joining

X X I . Industrial Uses and A p p l i c a t i o n s ...

X X I I . M iscellaneous

X X I I I . B i b l i o g r a p h y ...

X X I V . B o o k R eview s

243

249 265

285

321 331 335 339

273 279 284 291 296 298 302 303 305 305 306 307 308 309 309 309 311 312 314 317 318 323 The m on th ly issue o f Metallurgical Abstracts m ay b e cu t u p for card indexes as m em bers w ill receive ea rly in 1936 the yea r’ s abstracts in b ou n d form .

ON-FERROUS ALLOYS

a re u n eq u alled (o r

C O N S I S T E N T Q U A L I T Y

and are produced in

NOTCHED BARS, INGOTS, ROLLING SLABS, WIRE BARS, STICKS and SHOT

to

A D M IR A L T Y , A .I.D ., B.E.S.A. and all Standard Specifications

Particular attention is drawn to our

STANDARDIZED ALUMINIUM ALLOYS for SAND-CASTINGS, GRAVITY and PRESSURE DIE-CASTINGS and SPECIAL HIGH-TENSILE ALLOYS for AIRCRAFT and ADMIRALTY WORK

C O N T R A C T O R S T O T HE A D M I & A L T V AND PRI NCI PAL R A I L W A Y C O M P A N I E S

C U P R O F O U N D R Y L E O P O L D S T R E E T B I R M I N G H A M 1 2

P H O N E .V IC IO B .IA 2 5 3 1 2 S GP. AMS . S PECl El C f c l l ^ l N C M A M

X X

N ewcastle-upon-Tyne Meeting. Pro­

gram m e for September 9-12.

Th eT w enty-Seventh Annual Autum n M eeting o f the In stitu te will b e held in N ew castle-upon-Tyne from M on ­ day, Septem ber 9, t o Thursday, Septem ber 12. In the evening o f the first day D r. H . W . B row nsdon, M .Sc., will deliver the Fourteenth A utum n Lecture, in w hich he will deal w ith quality factors in m etal m elting. A fter the Lecture, which will be discussed, there will be an in ­ form al gathering o f m em bers in the K in g ’ s Hall, Arm strong College.

A rm strong College will be the centre o f the m eeting, and here, on Tuesday m orning, Septem ber 10, a Civic W el­

com e will be given to the In stitu te b y the L ord M ayor o f Newcastle-upon- Tyne. Afterw ards there will be a General M eeting for the presentation and discussion o f papers in the New M ining Lecture Theatre, lasting until 12.30 p .m . In the afternoon visits will be paid to the follow ing works :

Sir W . G . A rm stron g W h itw orth and Com pany, L td .

D un ston Pow er Station o f N orth E astern E lectric Supply C om ­ pan y, L td .

Vickers-Arm strongs, L td .

In the evening there will be a Civic R ecep tion and Dance b y invitation o f the L ord M ayor and L a d y M ayoress o f N ew castle-upon-Tyne. . On W ednes­

day, Septem ber 11, the m orning will be devoted t o the reading and discus­

sion o f papers a t A rm strong College, and in th e aftern oon the follow ing works will be visited :

C. A . Parsons and Com pany, L td . A . Reyrolle and Com pany, L td . N orth-E astern Marine Engineering

Com pany, L td .

In the evening m em bers and their ladies will be entertained to Dinner b y the L ocal R ecep tion Com m ittee.

The concluding day o f the m eeting, Thursday, Septem ber 12, will be d e­

v ote d to a w hole-day m otor excursion to B orcovicus and the R om an W all,

Q

the p a rty returning to Newcastle- u pon -T y n e at approxim ately 6 p.m .

A rrangem ents are being m ade for the entertainm ent o f ladies a ccom ­ panying m em bers to Newcastle- u pon-T yne. Inexpensive hostel a ccom m odation will be available.

A detailed program m e o f the m eet­

ing, including a list o f papers t o be presented, and a R ep ly Form , will be sent to all m em bers early in July. I t is h oped th a t a large num ber o f mem bers will desire to participate in the h ospitality th a t is being so kindly offered b y the mem bers in Newcastle-

u pon-T yne, where n o m eeting o f the In stitu te has been held since 1911.

Membership.

A s m em bers on ly are perm itted to take part in the social functions and w orks’ visits con nected w ith the N ew castle-upon-Tyne m eeting, an election is being arranged on J u ly 11 for the benefit o f those w ho desire to participate in the A utum n M eeting, b u t are n o t y e t m em bers o f the I n ­ stitute. A s this election occurs at the beginning o f a new financial year, the Council expects th a t there will be m any membership applications to be considered at its m eeting. The Secretary will b e glad t o forw ard particulars o f the In stitu te, and, i f d e ­ sired, a specim en co p y o f the M onthly Journal, to any poten tia l mem ber, on receipt o f name and address.

L oose Copies of Papers.

F or the convenience o f mem bers attending the In stitu te’s General M eetings, the Council has authorized the su p ply o f special loose prints of the papers, w hich w ill be o v e r­

printed from the M onthly Journal.

Orders— w hich m ust be fo r one whole year in advance— should be sent t o the Secretary without delay. The annual charge is 5«. p o s t free. The service com m ences w ith the Autum n M eeting, 1935, papers (N os. 698 et seq.).

Loyal Address to H.M. K ing George V.

The follow ing is the te x t o f a Lo y a l Ad d k e s s o f Co n g r a t u l a t i o n sub­

m itted to H .M . the K in g on the occasion o f th e Silver Jubilee o f his Accession t o the Throne b y th e fifteen underm entioned Engineering In stitu tion s whose Corporate Seals were affixed :

T o t h e Ki n g’s Mo s t Ex c e l l e n t Ma j e s t y. M ay it please Y o u r M ajesty,

W e , as representatives of, and on b eh a lf of, the principal Engineering In stitu tion s and Societies in the U n ited K in gdom o f Great Britain and N orthern Ireland, h u m bly b eg leave t o con vey t o Y o u r M a jesty the L oy al Greetings and Felicitations o f ou r 67,000 Mem bers u pon the a ttainm ent o f the 25th A n n i­

versary o f Y o u r M a jesty’ s A ccession to the Throne.

Through Y o u r M a jesty’ s w ise and beneficent rule and encouragem ent o f Science in In d u stry, the u tilization o f the great sources o f pow er in N ature has been advan ced to an ex ten t unprecedented in the h istory o f m ankind, thus con tribu tin g in n o sm all degree to th e welfare o f all Y o u r M a jesty’ s subjects.

W e desire to express ou r deep lo y a lty and d ev otion and our high apprecia­

tion o f the w ork Y o u r M ajesty has done tow ards the prom otion o f the Science and A rt o f E ngineering in its bearing on th e w ell-being o f the Em pire.

W e p ray th a t Y o u r M a jesty m a y live lon g t o en jo y g o o d health and h ap pi­

ness.

The In stitu tion o f Civil Engineers (1818).

The In stitu tion o f M echanical Engineers (1847).

T h e In stitu tion o f N aval A rch itects (1860).

The In stitu tion o f Gas Engineers (1863).

The Iron and Steel In stitu te (1869).

The In stitu tion o f E lectrical Engineers (1871).

The In stitu tion o f M unicipal and C ou n ty Engineers (1873).

The In stitu te o f Marine Engineers (1889).

The In stitu tion o f Mining Engineers (1889).

The In stitu tion o f M ining and M etallurgy (1892).

The In stitu tion o f W a ter Engineers (1896).

The In stitu tion o f A u tom obile Engineers (1906).

The In stitu te o f Metals (1908).

The In stitu tion o f Structural Engineers (1908).

The In stitu tion o f Chemical Engineers (1922).

The Seal o f the In stitu te o f Metals was a ttested b y the President, D r. H . M oore, and th e Secretary, Mr. G . Shaw S cott.

The follow in g is th e te x t o f a rep ly t o the A ddress o f C ongratulation : Ho m e Of f i c e,

Wh i t e h a l l,

17 M a y, 1935.

SlK,

I am directed b y the Secretary o f State t o inform y o u th a t he has been com m anded b y th e K in g t o con v ey H is M a jesty’ s thanks t o the fifteen E ngineering In stitu tion s and Societies fo r their A ddress o f Congratulation presented to H is M a jesty on th e com pletion o f th e T w en ty-F ifth Y ea r o f His R eign . H is M a jesty m u ch appreciates this expression o f lo y a lty and devotion in w hich th e President, Officers and M embers o f the In stitu te o f Metals have join ed,

The Secretary,

The In stitu te o f Metals, 36 V ictoria Street,

S .W .l.

I am, Sir,

Y o u r obedient Servant, (signed) H . A . Strutt.

244

The Institute of Metals and the Man­

chester M etallurgical Society.

The Council has entered in to an arrangement w ith the Council o f the Manchester Metallurgical S ociety whereby all mem bers o f the In stitu te o f Metals resident in Lancashire and Cheshire shall have th e privilege o f joining the society (su bject to the approval o f its C om m ittee), w ith ou t paym ent o f further subscription, the In stitu te o f Metals paying the current subscription for each such m em ber.

The new arrangement will com e in to force a t th e beginning o f the session

1935-1936.

The program m e o f the M anchester Metallurgical Society fo r th e com ing session will appear in the In stitu te’ s program m e along w ith th e p r o ­ grammes o f the six L ocal Sections o f the In stitu te to b e issued in Septem ­ ber n e x t. Synopses o f papers to be read before the M anchester M etal­

lurgical S ociety w ill appear in the Monthly Journal th rou gh ou t the session.

A m em ber o f the Council o f the In stitu te o f Metals will b e nom inated b y the Council to serve on the C om ­ m ittee o f th e M anchester M etal­

lurgical Society, and a representative o f the society will be appointed on the L ocal Sections C om m ittee o f the In stitu te.

Shipping, Engineering, and Machinery Exhibition.

The Thirteenth Shipping, E ngineer­

ing, and M achinery E xh ib ition , in ­ corporating the F ou nd ry Trades E x ­ hibition, is to b e held a t Olym pia, L ondon, W .14, from Septem ber 12 to 28, 1935. A s in previous years the organizers o f th e E xh ibition , Messrs.

F . W . Bridges & Sons, L t d ., have kindly in vited m em bers o f the I n ­ stitute o f Metals to visit the E xh ib i­

tion and to take tea togeth er. The visit has been arranged for Thursday, Septem ber 19. Overseas Members w ho have n o t received cards o f in ­ vitation fo r “ In stitu te o f Metals D a y ’ ’ before leaving for England, should a pp ly to the Secretary o f the Institute o f Metals, 36 V ictoria Street, London, S .W .l.

Local Sections.

The annual m eeting o f the L ocal Sections Com m ittee was held a t the offices o f the In stitu te on M ay 8, when the reports o f the several sections for the past session were presented and program m es for the com ing session were subm itted. The reports showed th a t the various sections had co m ­ pleted a useful yea r’ s w ork. There is every in dication th a t a further period o f a ctiv ity is in prosp ect for n ext session. The follow ing are the officers o f th e L ocal Sections for the session 1935-1936 :

Birmingham Section.

C h a i r m a n : Ma t j e i c e Co o k, M . Sc. , P h . D .

H on Secretary : J . W . Je n k i n, B .S c., P h .D .

H on . Treasurer : G . Bi l l- Go z z a r d.

London Section.

Chairman : C. J. Sm i t h e l l s, M .C., D . S c .

H on . Secretary : J. McNe i l, A .R .T .C . H o n . T reasu rer: H . J. Go u g h,

M . B . E . , D .S c., P h .D ., F .R .S . North-East Coast Section.

Chairman : S. G . Ho m f r a y, B . A . H on . S e cre ta ry : C. E . Pe a r s o n,

M .M et.

H o n . Treasurer : O. Ke n n e d y.

Scottish Section.

Chairman : J. W . Do n a l d s o n, D .S c.

H on . Secretary : Ha r o l d Bu l l. H on . Treasurer : M . Br o w n l i e.

Sheffield, Section.

Chairman : Ke n n e t h Gr a y. H on . S e cre ta ry : H . P . Ga d s b y,

A ssoc.M et.

H on . Treasurer : Fr a n k Ma s o n.

Swansea Section.

C h airm an : Ro o s e v e l t Gr i f f i t h s, M.Sc.

H on . Secretary and Treasurer : A . E . Sm i t h, P h .D .

Committees of the Institute.

The follow ing is a list o f the C om ­ m ittees appointed b y th e Council for the year 1935-1936 :

Finance and General Purposes Com­

m ittee.

Charles, Lieut.-G eneral Sir R on ald.

Clarke, H . W .

D ixon , Engineer V ice-A dm iral Sir R o b e rt (Chair).

Lancaster, H . C.

M orcom , E . L . (Vice-Chairm an).

M undey, A . H .

P reston, The H on . R . M.

Sm out, A . J. G.

Turner, P rofessor T.

Ex-officio : The President.

E x-P resident.

H on . Treasurer.

Chairman, P u blication Com m ittee.

Local Sections Committee.

Andrew, P rofessor J. H . B arclay, W . R . (Chair).

Brow nsdon, D r. H . W . Gray, K enn eth . Greer, H . H . A . Griffiths, W . T . H anson, P rofessor D . H au gh ton , D r. J. L . M undey, A . H .

Thom pson, Professor F . C.

Ex-officio : The President.

E x-P resident.

H on . Treasurer.

L oca l R ecep tion C om m ittee’ s R ep re­

sentative.

Chairman and Secretary o f : Birm ingham L ocal Section.

L on d on L ocal Section.

N orth-E ast Coast L ocal Section.

Scottish L oca l Section.

Sheffield L ocal Section.

Swansea L oca l Section.

M eetings Committee.

Andrew, Professor J. H . B arclay, W . R .

B row nsdon, D r. H . W . (Chair).

Gwyer, D r. A . G . C.

H anson, Professor D.

H aughton, D r. J. L . W eeks, H . B .

Ex-officio : The President.

Chairman, P ublication Com m ittee.

Membership Committee.

Andrew, Professor J. H . B arclay, W . R . (Chair).

B row n, Engineer V ice-A dm iral Sir H arold A .

Charles, Lieut.-G eneral Sir R on ald.

Genders, D r. R . Gray, K enn eth . Lancaster, H . C.

M orcom , E . L.

M undey, A . H . Seligman, D r. R . W eeks, H . B .

Ex-officio : The President.

L oca l Sections’ C om m ittee R ep re­

sentative.

Publication Committee.

B row nsdon, D r. H . W . D esch, D r. C. H . Genders, D r. R . Gw yer, D r. A . G. C.

H anson, Professor D . H au gh ton , Dr. J . L . H u tton , Professor R . S.

M urphy, A . J.

Seligman, D r. R . (Chair).

Sm ith, D r. S. W . Smithells, D r. C. J.

Sutton, H .

Thom pson, Professor F . C.

Turner, P rofessor T.

Ex-officio : The President.

- Chairman, Finance and General P u r­

poses Com m ittee.

PERSONAL N O T ES

Pr o f e s s o r Dr. - In g. G. Sa c h s, D irector o f the M etallurgical L a b ora ­ to r y o f the M etallgesellschaft A .G ., has, from A pril 1, becom e director o f the Forschungsabteilung der D ürener M etallwerke A .G . H e w ill also rem ain associated w ith the M etallgesellschaft A .G . in an a d v isory ca p a city.

Members and stu den t m em bers are rem inded th a t their annual subscrip­

tions, o f £3 3*. and £1 Is.,respectively, b ecom e payable, according t o the Rules, “ in advance on J u ly 1.” I f th ey will b e g o o d enough, therefore, to send their rem ittances to the Secretary, the In stitu te will be saved the expense o f forwarding “ re­

m inders,” which cost m ore than £50 a year and in volve m u ch clerical labour th a t m ight b e m ore usefully em ployed. D elay in the paym ent o f subscriptions is n ot on ly unnecessarily costly to the In stitu te, b u t it also prevents members from receiving their M onthly Journals p rom ptly. The In stitu te’s publications are n ot sent to members whose subscriptions are in arrear.

The use o f Banker’ s Orders for the paym ent o f subscriptions is strongly urged on mem bers b y the Finance Com m ittee. A lready m ore than 500 members use these orders, w ith result­

in g appreciable saving in tim e and m on ey to themselves and t o the In stitu te. Printed Banker’s Order form s are available, and will be fo r­

warded to a n y m em ber b y the Secretary.

247

GENERAL INDEX

TO

T H E J O U R N A L

A N D

M E T A L L U R G I C A L A B S T R A C T S

Vols. 26 (1921) to 55 (1934)

Members are requested to order their copies of the above at an early date, as the publication of this Index can only be proceeded with if a sufficient number of orders are secured in advance.

The Index will consist of Two Volumes— Names and Subjects— and is expected to contain 1100

pages, closely printed in double column.

A D V A N C E S U B SC R IP T IO N PRICE Two Volumes: Names and Subjects 25s. post free One Volume: Names or Subjects 15s. „ „

N O T E : If sufficient orders are secured it is hoped to publish the Names Index at the end of the present year.

248

Press (with due acknowledgment) after being presented at the A utum n Meeting o f the Institute to be held on Septem ber 9 -12 , 1935, in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The Institute as a b o d y is not responsible for the statements or opinions expressed in this paper, on which written discussion may be sent to the Secretary not later than O ctober 1, l9oo.

METAL LOSSES IN MELTING BRASS AND OTHER COPPER ALLOYS.*

B y MAURICE CO OK,t M.Sc., Ph.D., Me m b e r.

Sy n o p s i s.

A study has been made of the metal losses which occur when such alloys as gilding metals, brasses, and cupro-nickel are melted in crucibles in coke-fired pit furnaces, and for this purpose figures have been obtained both from carefully controlled trials and from production runs, involving the melting of considerable quantities of material under different con­

ditions. . .

Observations have also been made on the metal losses occurring m melting brasses of different compositions under various conditions of fluxing in A jax -W ya tt induction furnaces, and large-scale trials covering considerable periods and involving large tonnages of metal have been made. The loss is largely due to oxidation and the results of various methods of reducing the loss, such as varying the nature and amount of flux, the use of charcoal, coke, anthracite, and coal-gas, which have been tried are discussed.

Al t h o u g h one of the primary objects of industrial metal melting is to produce material satisfactory in quality, there are, nevertheless, other considerations the importance of which is vital to the whole economics of production. Not least of these is the loss which, in varying degree, occurs in melting. It will be appreciated readily that the magnitude of the loss may vary considerably for an alloy of any given kind or com­

position, for it is affected by many factors, such as method of melting, type of furnace used, temperature of heating, precautions for the pre­

vention of oxidation, methods of recovery, to mention but a few. Again, with a given method of melting and production procedure the loss varies with the compositions of the alloys, those containing readily oxidizable and volatile constituents generally showing higher loss figures than those which do not contain alloying elements so readily lost. Although the subject is a very wide one, the present paper deals only with a few typical non-ferrous metals and alloys and for the most part with only two forms of melting, crucible melting in coke-fired pit furnaces and electric melting in Aj ax-Wyatt induction furnaces. Its main purpose is

* Manuscript received April 4, 1935.

f Assistant Research Manager, I.C .I. Metals, Ltd., W itton, Birmingham.

Note to Abstractors and Other Readers—This paper will be published, in permanent form, in the Journal of the Institute o f Metals, Vol. LV II, 1935.

Reference should accordingly be as follow s: J • Inst. Metals, 1935, 57 (Advance

COPy)‘ 249

to present and discuss very briefly the results which have been obtained from records kept over a considerable number of years and from experi­

ments which have from time to time been made. Some of the experi­

ments have been carried out on a very large scale and during the period in which records have been taken many thousands of tons of metal have been melted. A correspondingly immense amount of data has thus been available for study. No attempt whatever has been made to reproduce this information, although in the preparation of the paper it has been examined very carefully and critically. Observations have been made in a number of difierent casting shops in different works, and in this way a fair range of varying procedures which often depend on the idiosyncrasies of individual casters themselves, are covered. Most of the metal melted has been cast into ingots and billets of all sorts of shapes and sizes for subsequent fabrication by hot- and cold-rolling, extrusion, and other methods. Mention of the losses which occur in brass melting are very numerous in papers dealing with melting furnaces and foundry technique and references to a few of the publications in which loss values are quoted are given at the end of the paper.

It may be mentioned in passing that in the fabrication of ingots and billets into strip, sheet, rod, tube, and wire the only other losses of appreciable magnitude which can, together with such losses as occur in melting and casting, be classified as metallurgical, are those which occur as a result of annealing and cleaning. The extent of these losses, like the losses which occur in melting, is determined primarily by the amount of oxidation which takes place, and it is affected by a number of factors such as the composition of the metal, number of annealings to which it is subject, the temperature of annealing, type of furnace and fuel used, extent to which precautions are taken to minimize oxidation, number of pickling operations, nature and temperature of the pickling solutions, &c. If adequate annealing can be accomplished, as in some cases it can, without appreciable alteration of the quality of the rolled surface and finish, then no metal loss occurs in this operation. Obser­

vations on the losses occurring in the cold-rolling of comparatively small ingots of gilding metal, cupro-nickel, and 65 : 35 brass into strip in substantially similar conditions showed that the loss was greatest in the most readily oxidizable metal. In the case of brass two separate series of observations yielded loss figures of 0-43 and 0-61 per cent., whilst for cupro-nickel and gilding metal values of 0-71 and 1-02 per cent., respectively, were obtained. These figures relate only to a particular sequence of manufacturing operations and annealing and pickling conditions, but they serve to illustrate the effect of the com­

position of the metal on the extent of the loss.

250

Cr u c i b l e Me l t i n g.

In crucible melting of metals, which up to quite recently was by far the most common form in the non-ferrous industry, heats of metal are used varying in size usually up to about, and generally not much more than, 200 lb. in weight. This form of metal melting—that is, in crucibles in coke-, gas- or oil-fired furnaces—is still quite widely used, particularly where alloys of different compositions are produced in comparatively small quantities. In considering metal loss the figure dealt with is the difference figure between the weight of metal supplied to the metal caster or melter and the weight of the ingots, billets, &c., returned from that metal. It is true of course that the difference between these two weights is not wholly loss, for in most plants a substantial proportion of the metal lost may be ultimately recovered.

In metal melting it is desired, in addition to producing metal of satis­

factory quality, to obtain the maximum yield in the form of castings from the metal melted. There are various methods in use for treating skimmings, ashes, and other residues in connection with metal melting, but a consideration of these or of other aspects of recovery of metal lost in melting or casting is outside the scope of the present paper.

Br a s s Me l t i n g.

Commercial brasses range in composition roughly from 80 to 55 per cent, of copper, and many contain varying quantities of other elements deliberately added or accidentally occurring. In the production of high- grade brasses it is common practice for 50 per cent, or more of the metal charged to be new, and all the scrap used is of known quality and generally clean and in large pieces. On the other hand, with lower-grade brasses, which more commonly are the brasses of low copper content, although it must not be forgotten that many of the brasses of low copper content, i.e. 55-63 per cent, copper, are carefully prepared from pure and selected materials only, scrap of a more varied nature is often used. This may contain appreciable amounts of non-metallic matter, which, since it is weighed out as metal to the casting shops, is reckoned as metal loss.

Thus the higher loss which may be noted in the results of brass billets for extrusion compared with that for ingots of say brass for cold-rolling is not due wholly to the higher zinc content of the former, although this is of course an important factor. Apart from differences in melting methods, which may very considerably influence the loss, the casting technique may also play a not inconsiderable part in the losses. Thus it is that in brass melting the loss may vary according to circumstances and conditions, from a fraction of 1 per cent, to several per cent.

251

In the crucible melting of brass in coke-fired pit furnaces, analysis shows that the largest sources of metal loss are the skimmings (which is the dross removed from the surface of the molten metal before casting), splashings, ashes, pot scrapings, and the stack loss.

In the various studies which have been made of the distribution of loss in metal melting, the stack loss has always been taken as a difference figure after figures have been assigned to the other sources of loss, and it appears to vary usually from about 0-5 to 1-0 per cent. It should be understood that in the stack loss is included any moisture, oil, grease, or other combustible matter which is weighed into the casting shop with the heat and so credited as metal. When melting very oily material, e.g. swarf, the so-called stack loss is very much higher than it is when heats containing heavier and larger scrap are being melted. In brass melting the remainder of the stack loss is largely zinc, and the extent of the stack loss varies considerably with the temperature of speltering, with the total proportion of zinc present in the mixture, and the relative proportion of zinc present as raw material and in the scrap. When pyrometers are not in regular use, as is frequently the case in pot melting shops, the stack loss may even vary with changes in the lighting conditions which affect the visual judgment of temperature.

The loss of metal in pot scrapings is small and does not generally greatly exceed about 0-1 per cent. In solid-fuel-fired furnaces the ashes from the burnt fuel carry a varying metal content. The amount of metal in the ashes is one of the most variable sources of loss. With careful operating technique the amount of metal lost in the ashes ought to be very small and should be less than 0-25 per cent.; much higher losses than this are, however, not unknown. Careless handling of the pot in the fire, very full pots, careless stirring, &c., all tend to increase the metal loss in the ashes. Splashings (by which is meant the small pieces of metal which are gathered up from the floor as sweepings or scrapings and occur as the result of spilling of metal during the handling of the full pot, during pouring, &c.) reprtesent another variable loss, the magnitude of which depends largely on the degree of care and skill exercised in the casting operation.

The stack loss is partially controllable but non-recoverable. The losses in the ashes, skimmings and splashings are partly controllable and partly recoverable. The amount of metal in the skimmings is affected by such factors as temperature, nature of non-metallic matter on the top of the molten metal, care and skill exercised in melting, methods of prevention of drossing, skill in removal of skimmings, &c.

Some metal loss distribution figures for crucible brass melting in coke-fired pit furnaces are given in Table I, A-D. It should be under-

252

T a b l e I . —Metal Losses in Crucible Melting in Coke-Fired Pit Furnaces.

A. B. 0. D. E. P. G.

Cast strips or billets re­

99-64 turned, per cent. . 97-58 98-66 96-66 98-39 99-71 98-66 Metal in skimmings, per

0-41 0-08 ^{0 - 2 0} 0-08

cent. . . . . 0-72 0-33 0-90

Metal in splashings, per

0 - 2 1 0-03 ^{0 - 6 6} 0-04

cent. . . . . 0-61 0-17 0-62

Metal in ashes, per cent. . ^{0 - 2 2} 0-08 0-75 0-23 0-08 0-29 ^{0 - 1 1} Metal in pot scrapings, per

0-06 0-05 0 - 1 0 0-07

cent. . . . . 0-04 0-06 0-07

Stack loss, per cent. . 0-83 0-70 ^{1 - 0 0} 0-70 0-05 0-09 0-06 Total metal loss, per cent. 2-42 1-34 3-34 1-61 0-29 1-34 0-36

A.— 6 4 : 36 brass ingots. 220-lb. heats of 50 per cent, virgin metal and 50 per cent, scrap.

B.— 65 : 35 brass ingots. 161-lb. heats of 100 lb. virgin metal and 61 lb. scrap.

C.— Various qualities and heats. Figures obtained over a ⁶ months’ period.

D .— 65 : 35 brass ingots. Variable heats. Average figures for a period of 3 months.

E .— 97 : 3 copper-zinc alloy. 165-lb. heats. 50 per cent, scrap.

1’ .— 97 : 3 copper-zine alloy. 215-lb. heats. 50 per cent, scrap.

G.— 80 : 20 cupro-nickel. 126-lb. heats. 64 per cent, scrap cupro-m ckel.

stood that these figures, although they have been actually determined, are given only as examples, and it is not suggested that they indicate either what is ideally possible or even typical, for it is appreciated that there are so many possible variations in melting technique and so many other factors involved, the incidence of which may have very varying effects on the metal losses, that it is impossible to put forward figures as being generally representative. The figures under “ A ” were obtained from a series of heats melted under observation, all the weighings involved being accurately recorded but with no interference with the normal activities of the operatives. Heats weighing 220 lb., composed of 50 per cent, virgin metal and 50 per cent, scrap metal, were melted and cast into comparatively small ingots of 64 : 36 brass for cold-rolling. Under “ B ” are given the figures resulting from a similar study made in another works using the same melting method. The composition of the brass was only slightly different, being in this case 65 : 35, and the heats were smaller, weighing 161 lb. of which 100 lb.

were virgin metal. These differences do not account, however, for the much smaller gross loss figure obtained. A comparison of the individual loss items under “ A '' and “ B 55 shows that the losses in skimmings, splashings, and ashes aremuch higher in the former, whilst the stack loss and loss in the form of pot scrapings are not markedly different. This suggests at once that in the one series the actual handling had been

253