The sun., 1910-06-26
VANADEUM STEEL.
A Variety PartisulArly Adapted 70 Auto-
mnhl1R AGlRa.

mnnae A&1e1.
The special steek containing nickei,
chromium or tungsten have now been
In uss FOR some years and have been well
suited 70 many requirements. Bat where
they have produced increased static
sarsnGth they have caused a decrease IN
the dynamic quality Of the material.
ID Il by tho application Of vanAdium 10
anoh sleel that success has been accom-
plished and a steel obtained satisfactory
both staticAlly and dynamioAlly. vanA-
dlum steals have now been In use for
Ten years and have been subjected 10
severe tests. According 10 Coasters Maga-
sias they have well justified all that was
prndiCted Of them,
The automObils industry more than any
other has compellei the steel manu-
faOturer 10 institute improvements In the
quality Of steel. The requirements Of
modern automobile ooIastruotion are most
drastic. and stees which prove satis-
faSt0ry in service In the AXles or springs
Of motor cara can bs safely rsokOne1
upon 10 stand almost anything.
Two practical examples Of the superior
strength and wearing qualities of vana-
dium stesls we're given IN a fsCtureOR the
application Of vanadium steels 10 the
construction Of automobiles by J. Kent
Smith. the pioneer IN the manufa0ture
Of vanadium stesls and the highest an-
thoFity upon vanadium alloys. he said;
@Ons automoblls manufactures could
not Got q Stael 70 stand certain work.
and the trouble wns diagnoasd by the
author a. q question entirely Of alternat-
Ina impact. In March, 1904, this manu-.
fActurer was given elk yanadium steel
Axlss Of q type best fitted 20 resist such
conditions. the understanding being that
they wero 10 10 put ON tgial cars and pun
iRhed severely. 10 - % form fairly
quick opini0n Oe the nature Of the steel.
THIS manufacture waa OF the opinion
they would break. ~ the tensile siren Gth,
elohGntion and reduction Of area were
practically similar 20 those In the steel
he waa unaucceasfully using. The vana-
dium steel chosen succeeded triumphantly
and that man has never built a car since
with any other kind Of az le steel
sAnother illustration IL that of a friend
who desired shafts for a launch to trans
init - Horsepower AZ 800 revolutiors q
minute through iTfeet 0inches Carefully
checked designs of these shafts II vana-
dium steel, showing an ample factor Of
safety, only came out az IA inch diameter
and despite most peasimistic remarks
from practical men thess shafts behaved
perfectly under the most eKigent trials
The boat In which they were ugct won
the race II do not Gav because the shafts
were male Of vanadium gteen. and the
builder Etate1 be was designing q lot
more launches and had sDeciile5 vanaiium
steel for all The steel he had heen usir 2
before hat higher static ultimate strength.
rood ductility and IVES apparently first
class steel: he was using higrer shaft
and yet be had been setting hreaka0es
Until quite Recently vanadiur1 vas re-
Enrsled a. q rare element and the suNTlv
Of the metal seemed 10 be verv prscayio'w.
Tho first really big ifnpefIls 10 o0Fnr,ercisl
vanAdium was RiVen bv the oHeninG M
~ large deposits 81 vanHdiUrn ore IN
H0uth America. In addition 20 this there
are deposits Of raw material n at least
equal Importance in western America
and In Etlrope.
The discovery Of aasllv worked source
Of vanadiuH. coupled with the COMMERCIAL
demand for the Hsetal. has resulted In an
astoniuhlngly ra@ld chsa3sning Of the
price. TWENTY years ago vanadium was
fgn per pound. In ten years the Price
tel 70 90 per round TO-dav IL market
price h "a shiIlings per round
II II this fact together With the mecca
sitv for adding u 70 steel IN verv small
quantities generally lees than 02 per
cent of The weight of the steel. that
enables the manufacturer 20 make vana-
dunn steels az a rFins roughly compaTshle
with that Of ordinary nickel forging
atael
VAnadiuTn, like alurniniuB. osmium aud
tantnluF7. u an instance Of tho immense
notentialities ~ undeveloNed nature. It's
usefulness is not confined to iron and
steel. but Il also Strengthens and en-
hances the pro7erties Of hrass-a, hronzes
ooN9er aluTiniurn aud even lead The full
extent Of ia usefulness. however. IL "a
yet quite unknown.