Iron and Steel - Iron-manganese Alloys Low in Carbon (Abstract, with Discussion)

Table 1 gives the composition of the specimens listed by the author. The details of test procedure and the results of the tests on mechanical, magnetic and electrical properties and cor-rodibility of the alloys are published in full in a paper by the same author, "Alloys of Iron and Manganese Containing Low Carbon," presented before the Iron and Steel Institute (of Great Britain) and published in full in their Proceedings for 1927, to which reference should be made. After reporting these tests the author gives the following discussion of results:] The studies here reported do not indicate that any of the series has really valuable or useful qualities for industrial applications, though the demands of industry are so varied that it is unsafe to prophesy that no special use will be found for a given material. The non-magnetic property of manganese steel is due to the association of Fe and Mn, but carbon has also an effect, enabling non-magnetic qualities to be obtained with a much lower percentage of Mn than would otherwise be the case; for example, 16 per cent. Mn is necessary for alloys practically free from carbon, while with 1 per cent. C nonmagnetic alloys may be obtained with as little as 7 per cent. Mn. Carbon, however, is the prime cause of the development of magnetic qualities by heat treatment. (Sec section 8 of the paper referred to above.) These Fe-Mn alloys show a resistance up to 87 microhms per c. c., but. as there are other alloys which have a resistance as high as 130 microhms per C. c., this does not provide any new feature of value. The most marked feature of the series studied is the brittleness in the range 3 to 10 per cent., with a maximum of brittleness at 7 per cent. Material with this percentage, while possessing quite appreciable hard-