New-York tribune., 1919-12-19
British 'Supersteel'
Formula Long Used
By U. S. Scientists
American Experts Skeptical
of Value of ''Discovery''
Announced by Prof. Ar.
Observation-Disclosures

"Old stuff" was, In substance, shs
reply made by American metallurgists
yesterday to the announcement in cable
dispatches from London that Professor
John Oliver Arnold, of Sheffield Uni
versity, had discovered "supersteel,"
with far greater commercial and mill
tary possibilities than the steel now
used.
According to the dispatch printed in
The Tribune yesterday, the "supersteel"
has been made possible by the use
of molybdenum, a hard white metal,
somew hat resembling silver. This metal
manufacture of steel since 1890, the
experts said.
Always Favored England"
1T is possible that Professor Arnold
has learned how to use molybdenum
SO that it will not be sweated out of
the steel by constant forging" said
Frank B. Carney, who was chief metal
urgist of the Bethlehem Steel Com
pany during the war. "Unless he has
done this he has not discovered any,
thing new.
I'm Professor Arnold's scientific
writings he has always tended to praise
English steel above that made in any
other country. have gathered the i'm
preston that he thinks steel can be
made in Sheffield but that the Ameri-
cans simp.y don't know how to do it."
"Professor Arnold is not the inventor
of the use Of molybdenum in steel"
said William Cambell, professor Of
Metellurgy at Columbia University, and
the tal.urgist of the Brooklyn Navy
Yard 1t was rumored during the war
that the Germans used molybdenum
steel in the manufacture of big guns.
and we carried on extensive expert
ments here in that lire. The steel
proved no better than that normally
used.
This molybdenum steel has been
used In America for more than twenty
years. and has not proved particularly
good"
b. F. Phillipson, president Of the
Climax Molybdenum Company. said that
mo!yDedenum steel has been developed
IN America during the last two years
IN manner which overshadows the
invention claimed by Professor Arnold.
This British STEEL" he said. "is used
Tor cutting tools. American experts
have devel oped similar article which
IS used for automotive parts, such az
the crankshafts of airplane motors
and for the light armor used on tanks.
1t is used IN the Liberty motor and was
an important part of the NC-4 II 10
also emp.oyed in the manufacture Of
Renault baby tanks. The Fifth Avenue
buses have 1t in their springs
According to The London Daily
Mail the British government has for
hidden the pub ication of details Of
the manufacture of the super Steel"
Mr.. Phillipson said that the process
is already known to American metal
lurgists. To prove his assertion he
reached into a drawer and extracted
what he said was the Arnold formula.
1t calls for the use of the following
elements: Carbon, OTIS per cent; chro.
MUM, 279 per cent; molybdenum. $40
per cent, and vanadium, 1.29 per cent.
No tungsten Is used.
Same as German Formula
This is practically the same as tho
formu used by the Germans, a copy
of which has just reached me-" Mr.
Phillipson said. American automotive
molybdenum steel is made with about
per cent of mo ybdenum instead
of nearly per cent"
This "Arno'd formula" was sh~wn to
Professor Cambel and Mr. Carney.
Both said thrre was nothing new n il
The dispatche imply that Professor
Arnold believes his invention to be Of
great Importance if large Quantities OF
molybdenum can be found Accoi d ng
TO Mr.. Phil ipson. there is en- 1ugh OF
that metal in c imax, Col, to p oduce
1000 tons day for thirty years.