US873746A - Metal alloy. - Google Patents

Description

ELwooD HAYNES, OFKOKOMO, INDIANA.

IMETAL ALLOY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 17,1907.

- Application filed May 3' 190'7.- Serial No. 371.573.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELWooD HAYNES, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident of Kokomo, in the county of Howard and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Metal Alloy;

- and I do hereby declare that the following is a .full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, and to' the letters of reference marked thereon, which'form a part of this specification. H

This" invention relates to a novel metal alloy designed for use in the manufacture of articles requiring a high and durable. luster and enduring and permanent qualities, such as is required in metals from which are made standards of weight, measures, and like uses, and possessing a degree of hardness and elasticity adapting it to be used in the manufacture of tools and implements requiring a moderately sharp cutting edge. Among theobjects of my invention is .to produce a commercially practical metal alloy 'aving vthe properties above set forth and which is capable of being forged, hammered or otherwise worked into various forms of instruments and articles and whichis highly adapted, among other uses, as a substitute for metals which have been heretofore plated in order to provide a suitable luster and re-- sist the oxidizing and corrosive action of the normal fumes of atmosphere and fumes of abnormal atmospheres occurring in chemical laboratories, manufacturing establishments and like places.

An alloy made in accordance with-my invention is composed of chromiumor other metal of the chromium group having properties like chromium, when considered with respect to the peculiar properties of my novel alloy, combined with nickel in the pro ortions substantially as hereinafter speci ed. The metals included in the chromium group to which reference has been made embraces, in addition to chromium, tungsten, molybdenum and uranium. While I may employ other metals'of the chromium group than chromium, my experiments up to the present 50 time have led me to prefer the latter metal as possessing the most desirable qualities of a constituent of my alloy for the purposes and uses intended, though it may be found for different uses othermetals of the chromium group may be used as a constituent of the alloy. I

'I'have discovered that. an alloy may be producedby fusing together chromium and mckel, in the proportions substantially as hereinafter specified, having such roperties as will enable it \to receive a big lustrous polish and which is capable of resistingoxidation and all form-of corrosive fumes com-. 'monly occurring in the atmosphere, and

showing no tendency to tarnish when exposed to the atmosphere of .a chemical laboratory for a long period of time, and even retaining its brilliantly polished surface when subjecting'it to boiling nitric acid. I have also discovered, as an additional property of this alloy, that it is sufficiently hard and elastic to enable it to be used in the manufacture .of tools and implements which require a moderately sharp edge and is alsoadaptable for various instruments used by surgeons, dentists and for many other'uses Where untarnishability is a requisite. I have found that the alloy may be best Worked cold. My alloy is also capable of substitution for many of the rare and expensive metals of what is known as the polyxene group in the manufacture of standards of weight and measure and other articles and instruments for scientific uses demanding great durability and untarnishability.

In order that the alloy shall most advan tageously possess the qualities above enumerated, it is necessary that the constituent metals be substantially pure and especially that they shall be free from carbon, sulfur and like substances which-seriously interfere with the non-tarnishing properties of the alloy.- An alloy of chromium and nickel which I have found to possess the aforesaid properties in varying degreescontains from thirty to sixty per cent. of chromium, together with a corresponding variation of the nickel. .The addition of chromium above the lower percentage mentioned adds to the hardness of the alloy and also increases its resistance'to tarnishability. I have found Chromium containing a substantial percentage of carbon may be'fused under lower temperatures, but the presence of the carbon is highly objectionable inasmuch as it does notthat pure carbonless chromium is very diffinot objectionably affect the nature 'of the.

binary alloy for the purposes stated.

I have produced the alloy of chromium and nickel by three different methods or processes-'1 One method or process consists in placing the pure metals, chromium and nic el, in a magnesia crucible, which crucible is placed in a furnace lined'with magnesia and the crucible heated by an oxyhydrogen flame. The metals may be fused in acruci ble o f similar character and constructionlhea'ted i'by an electric arc. The third method of the metals to alloy the same consists mixing the oxid of chromium with the reggiired proportion of oxid of nickel and thereafter mixing these two oxids intimately with metallic aluminium preferably in the form of fiowder. Thereafter this mixture is introuced into a crucible lined with magnesia or alumina, and the mixture is either heated until decomposition takes place or is ignited 1 cold and the metals are reduced to the me-.

tallic state and at the same time fused to a regulus by the extremely high temperature thus produced,

I claim as my invention 1. A metal alloy composed of nickel and more than thirty per cent. of a metal of the chromium group.

2. A metal alloy composed-of nickel and more than thirty per cent. of chromium.-

3. A metal alloy composed of pure-chromium. and pure nickel in the proportions of more than thirty percent. and less than ELWOOD HAYNES.

Witnesses A. E. STARBUCK,

WALTER J ONES.