Abstract
THE demands of various industries for metals presenting a higher resistance to corrosion than the steels and non-ferrous alloys in general use have led to the introduction of a number of new alloys within a few years, and this collection of papers communicated to the Faraday Society gives interesting information as to the character and composition of those that have proved of value. The importance of the two metals nickel and chromium in this branch of metallurgy is very striking. One or the other is present in nearly all the alloys mentioned as being highly resistant to corrosion, whilst alloys containing high percentages of both metals, such as nichrome, are amongst the most resistant of all, not only at ordinary temperatures, but also in contact with oxidising gases at high temperatures. The so-called stainless steels contain chromium as the alloying element, whilst the further addition of nickel has resulted in the production of new steels of high quality, at present too costly for most commercial purposes. The ternary system iron-nickel-chromium is surveyed in one of the papers in this volume, and it would seem that a wide range of useful compositions is to be found within the limits of that system, although there has been little methodical investigation of the alloys as a whole. Monel metal is an example of the non-ferrous alloys that may be used where there is likelihood of corrosion, and it may be noticed on reading these papers that attempts have been made, with some success, to increase, the resistance of the ordinary nickel silver by adding small quantities of tin. The theory of corrosion is in a backward condition, and the new alloys have been arrived at by a process of trial and error, theory giving at present little guidance. A paper on the corrosion of metals under comparatively dry conditions, by Mr, U. R. Evans, is the most scientific of those contributed to the discussion, the remainder being essentially records of observations, and including valuable results of workshop experience.
Alloys Resistant to Corrosion: a General Discussion held jointly by the Faraday Society and the Sheffield section of the Institute of Metals, April, 1923.
Pp. 153–230. (London: The Faraday Society, 1923.) 5s. 6d. net.
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Alloys Resistant to Corrosion: a General Discussion held jointly by the Faraday Society and the Sheffield section of the Institute of Metals, April, 1923. Nature 113, 191 (1924). https://doi.org/10.1038/113191a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/113191a0