Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1911-02-13
MODERN ALCHEMY.


In the days of the medieval alchem-
list il was believed that it was possible
by means of some undiscovered labora-
tory operation to convert the baser
metals into gold. With the develop
ment of modern chemistry this belief
was shown to be baseless, at least in
the sense in which the older workers
held it.
At the same time there has been
evolved as a result % the work of the
more recent chemists and metallurgists
transmutation in the properties of
addition of which will impart to steel
which is of far more real value to the
world than any formula for making
gold could ever be.
The discovery that iron containing a
certain proportion of carbon constituted
steel transformed society and created
modern civilization. Without steel
we should relapse into barbarism. To
day it is known that in addition to car
bon there are other elements the addi-
ton of which VIII impart to steel GER
tain properties increasing immensely
it's value as a material of construction
and of operation.
Among the substances which were
formerly classed as the rare" clements
there are several which were rare only
because there was not sufficient use
for them to provide an incentive to dis
cover natural sources of supply
Thus vanadium, known as an ele-
ment for a hundred years, estimated as
having value many times that of gold
and used solely for few artistic pur-
poses in coloring fabrics. has within a
few years risen immensely in import
ance because OF the knowledge which
has been acquired of the valuable prop
critics which it imparts to steel. while
at the same time it has fallen in cost
to a point about one-half that of sill
yer because the very demand has re-
vealed hitherto unknown deposits
The Influence of vanadium upon steel
may well be regarded as a triumph of
modern metallurgy. and vanadium steel
has become one of the most important
of the so-called alloy steels. The older
steels. now known broadly as carbon
steels in distinction to the various al
10y steels, had certain fairly well as
certained properties together with the
Discriminate limitations.
They could be made ductile within
certain limits of strength or strong
within certain approach to brittleness,
but when both strength and toughness
were demanded it was realized that
something else in addition to carbon
was essential. That something has been
shown TO be vanadium.
The influence of the addition of small
proportions of vanadium to steels is
two-fold; II acts as a scavenger, re-
moving oxides. nitrides, etc, in a form
easily carried away to the Stag. and it
also toughens the steel directly by its
solid solution. under normal conditions.
in the carbonless portion, known as
ferrite. In addition il forms complex
Hcarbides of such a nature as greatly to
strengthen the steel statically.
/ The result is product so vastly SUI
perior to the ordinary carbon steel as
to render 1t practically a new material
of construction, especially for situa-
lions IN which shocks must be met and
resisted. The combination of strength
and great toughness makes ii the ma
terial above all others for automobile
parts as well as for railway axles and
engine frames, for springs for the i'm
portant parts of vessels and for bridges
and similar structures
For the latest types of engineering
work, such, as flying machines. subma-
rines, torpedoes and similar work the