The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1915-08-14

than like plates made without the use OF vana
dunn. No immediate results, however. followed
the French tests, owing perhaps to the fact tnAt
at this time adequate supply Of vanadium was
in sight. About four years later Prof. J. o.
Arnold OF Sheffield In address before the Brit
fish Iron and Steel institute declared that vana-
dunn was the master weapon OF the steel metal
lurgst. At this time price OF vanadfum alloy
was very high and the supply uncertain. The
greatest advances however. made in the use OF
vanadum in the steel industry have followed the
experiments and practical applications OF J. Kent
Smith OF Liverpool. Mr.. Smiths work has been
principally in the production OF the various
grades OF vanadium alloys, and he has supervised
personally the initial of vanadium in most
OF the leading steel mills of England and the
continent and some in he United States.
About 1905 the supply OF vanadium began to
increase to large degree, due to the purchase
of the Mnas Ragra deposits In Peru by the
American Vanadum company, also to the devel
opment OF mines in other parts OF Peru. Spain
and elsewhere From having been rare metal
owing to the large output. 1t became available In
quantities claimed to be unlimited. as a steel
making element The claims made by its users
are that it has accomplished wonders in cruclbie
steel and in openhearth steel that It gives cast
iron greater strength and endurance. and that
copper and aluminium remarkably improved
for certain purposes by its addition. 1t is used
In steel for engine axles and frames, IN trans
mission shafts and gears, in wire springs. IN
piston rods, hydraulic cylinders, ures tOos UoAeI
plates bolts. gun shields. projectiles. armor
plates gun barrels. watch springs, and In cast
ings and forgings generally.
The claim Is made that in steel making 1t
unites with the nitrides and oxides. and carries
them into the Stag. The quantity OF vanadium
that will remain in the Stag is in proportion to
the amount OF scavengng thus done by it. In
welldeoxidized steel it is said that the scaveng'
ing will consume about oneffth OF the vana-
dunn
The alloy, ferrovanadium. is introduced into
the sted by very simple process In the cruel
BILE process the alloys broken into small bits
and put into the charge with the second addition
of the manganese. In the acid open-hearth proc
the alloy in larger pieces Is dropped into the
bath when the fame has been blanketed. In the
basic open-hearth practice the alloy. broken small,
is through spout that emptes into the ladle
in which the molten steel is being poured. A
similar method is followed In the Bessemer and
Tropenas practice and also in the cupola process
for cast iron. In the latter. the alloy is crushed
quite fine
1t is claimed that vanadium increases largely
the resistance of metals to vibratory disintegra-
ton. that the steel is stronger and tougher and
tempers more uniformly and to a greater depth
than steel without vanadium. One OF the prin-
cipal advantages in the use OF vanadium steel In
the future will no doubt be that it will enable the
as locomotives, cars. machinery, etc. through the
OF smaller amount OF the stronger and
tougher stee' The question of weight has be
serious not only in locomotives but in other
forms OF machinery. Another great economy
claimed for vanadium steel Is its greater dura
bility II this can be established. II would OF
itself more than justify its more extensive use.