The Raymer enterprise., 1915-08-12

than like plates made without the OF vana,
dium No immediate results however, followed
the French tests owing perhaps to the fact that
at this time no adequate supply OF vanadium was
In sight About four years later Prot j. O..
Arnold OF Sheffield In an address before the Brit
ish Iron and Steel institute declared that vana-
dum the master weapon OF the steel metal
lurgist. At this time price Of vanadium alloy
was very high and the supply uncertain. The
greatest advances however made In the use OF
vanadium in the steel industry have followed the
experiments and practical applications OF ]. Kent
Smith OF Liverpool. Mr.. Smiths work has been
principally in the production OF the various
grades OF yanadium alloys. and he has supervised
personally the initial use 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 vanadilm began to
increase to a large degree, due to the purchase
of the Mfnas 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. It became available In
quantities claimed TO be unlimited as a steel
smaking element The claims made by Its users
are that Ii has accomplished wonders In crucible
steel and in open-hearth steel that II gives cast
iron greater strength and endurance. and that
copper and aluminium are 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 tires. tools. boiler
plates bolts. gun shields. proiectes, armor
plates gun barrels watch springs. and In cast
ings and forgings generally
The claim is made that In steel making It
unites with the ntrides and oxides, and carries
them into the Stag. The quantity Of vanadum
that will remain in the Stag is In proportion to
the amount OF scavenging thus done by It. In
well,deoxdized steel II Is said that the scaveng
ing will consume about one.ffth Of the vana-
dium
The alloy. ferrovanadum. Is introduced into
the steel by very simple process In the cruel
Bile process the alloys are broken into small bits
and put into the charge with the second addition
OF the manganese. In the acid open-hearth proc
ess 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 run through spout that empties into the lade
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
II is claimed that yanadium increases largely
the resistance of metals to vibratory disntegra
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
cipaf advantages in the use OF vanadium steel In
the future will no doubt be that 1t will enable the
steel man to reduce weight in such constructions
as locomotives. cars machinery. etc. through the
use of a smaller amount OF the stronger and
tougher stee' The question Of weight has be-
come 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. 1t would Of
itself more than justify its more extensive use.