US982022A - Magnesium-zinc alloy. - Google Patents

Description

" rrni STATES PATENT 0 m.

ALTER intent, or BERLIN, GERMANY.

MAGNESIUM-ZIN'G ALLOY.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, VVALTER R-r'iBEL, a

subject of the King of Prussia, German 'Emperor, residing in Berlin, Beu'sselstrasse 27, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements n and Relatlng to the Manufacture of a- Magnesium-Zinc Alloy, of

I low specificoweight but which will still present adequate strength.

In cases where lightness 1s of especial importance, some constructors use aluminunij This material presents a number of defects some of which are that in the lathe it cannot be worked at all without employing oil or soapy water and it likewise presents far less resistance to atmospheric influences than was heretofore thought. Now it has manufacture a light metal meetingall requirements by alloying magnesium with zinc. As is known magnesium is specifically a very light metal. It has, however, heretofore been quite impossible to employ it for any constructional purposes because it is very'liable to produce reaction, and, for example, decomposes water even at in forming hydrate of magnesium; Its nechanical properties likewise do not fulfil practical requirements. Now these. defects have been obviated in a very surprising manner in that it is possible to convert magnesiumdnto a very valuable, high grade but light material, the specific weight. of A relatively small quantities of zinc.

An alloy consisting of 96% of magnesium which is approximately 1.8, by alloying with and 4% of zinc when cast presents a resist-" ance of from 15 to 125 kilos; when rolled from 25 to kilos with a coeificient of expansion "arying from 8 to 12%. Satis factory alloys may be obtained from not more than 99 percent. nor less than 94 per cent. of magnesium and not less been found to be possible to u sion of air.

than 1 per 7 'cent. nor more than 6 percent. of zinc. In

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J an. 17, 1911. Application filed April '25, 1910. Serial No. 557,510.

the case of materials that are to be rolled or pressed the Zinc should preferably not exceed 3%.

It is not necessary to use pure zinc. Satisfactory results can be obtained from zinc alloys containing a percentage of copper, or of aluminum, or of such metals of the iron group as iron, nickel, chromium and manganese.

The alloy may be prepared in a wrought iron retort over an ordinary coal fire. The

retort should be provided with a well fitting cover. The magnesium is first placed in the retort and when this has, melted the zinc (which may advantageously be previously heated) is added it melts at once and combines with the magnesium. A readily fusible material is thus formed which canbe cast .in the usual manner and which aftercasting presents an entirely smooth surface; very little oxidation occurs on casting. It will be understood that the melting of the magnesium must take place with the exclu- As already stated, the alloy obtained can be wrought and rolled and presents the fracture of fine steel. Some mechanical constants have been enumerated above by way of example.

Various degrees of hardness and corresponding coeificients of expansion can be ob- ,tained. The alloy can readily be wrought and cast and be turned like brass or copper without the use of soap or petroleum and it also resists the action of air and water perfectly v I claim: i A magnesium-zinc alloy consisting of not more than ninety-nine per cent. nor less than ninety-four per cent. of magnesium and not less thanone per cent. nor more than six perv cent. of zinc. p

In witness whereof I have s gned this specification 1n presence of two witnesses.

WALTER RI'JBEL. Witnesses HENRY HASPER, EMIL KITTERTESOH.