The technical analysis of brass and the non-ferrous metals: By William Benham Price, Chief Chemist, Scovill Manufacturing Company, and Richard K. Meade, Director of Meade Testing Laboratories, Allentown, Pa, 267 pages; illustrated; 12mo. Edition 1. New York, John Wiley & Sons, 1911. Price, $2
✍ Scribed by A.E. Outerbridge Jr.
- Publisher
- Elsevier Science
- Year
- 1913
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 119 KB
- Volume
- 175
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0016-0032
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
✦ Synopsis
It is crystallized knowledge and experience in a special field which will be found especially useful to the busy man who does not have time or opportunity, amidst other occupations, to keep himself posted on all the modern methods 04 rapid analyses of brass and other non-ferrous alloys.
The authors have confined themselves rigidly to the main theme, covering practically all known methods of analysis, and do not refer to the specific gravity or microstructure of alloys. While these are very important adjuncts, they are not strictly germane to the work in hand, and would, if included, unduly enlarge the volume.
Few persons realize the enormous expansion of consumption of neroferrous metals in recent years. Some idea of the economic value of bearing metals alone may be gained from a brief statement on the first page of the Introduction, which is as follows: " In view of the increase in the amount of machinery and rolling stock it is safe to say that the value of the bearing metal now in use is considerably over fifty million dollars." Presumably the authors are referring to this country only.
A feature which has impressed the reviewer favorably is the proper balance which appears to have been observed in respect to the relative importance of various methods of analysis of the metals and alloys. Thus, th.e electrolytic method is given prominence, wherever it is available, as being the simplest and most rapid, and where the electrolytic process is not suitable a brief note (as in the case of magnesium) is given, viz., " None at present known."
In the case of aluminum it is shown that this metal may be electrolytically separated as aluminum hydroxide, filtered off, ignited, and weighed as A1208, but it is said "this method is seldom used in practical work."
Notwithstanding statements that have been made from time to time in foreign technical iournals that processes have been devised whereby aluminum may be "electrolytically deposited in metallic form" on other metals, this is still a mere ignis fatuus. The most glaring fraud ever perpetrated of this nature was in the claim made, years ago, that the cast-iron plates forming the metal covering of the great tower of the City Hall in Philadelphia were heavily coated with aluminum electrolytleally deposited, and that they would consequently retain, for all time, the original neutral gray color, matching the stone on which the tower rests. Many thousands of dollars were paid by the city for this work, and it will be necessary,