Joint Discussion on Test Methods for Brass

A. W. TRACY' AND D. H. THOMPSON (presented in written form).-Messrs. Ed¬munds, Anderson and Waring are to be commended for their excellent work in so painstakingly reducing to constants, the variables believed to be associated with these types of stress corrosion. An ammonia stress-cracking apparatus similar in many respects to the one described has been assembled. Certain aspects of its construction may be of interest. Tensile loading of the specimens, which are usually Y8-in. diameter wires, is accomplished by springs acting in compression in compact, portable, tubular assemblies weighing less than 10 lb. The lower end of each assembly contains the test specimen and is passed into the test chamber for exposure to the moist ammoniacal atmosphere. There is considerable convenience in being able to load the specimens in a portable unit, which may be warmed to prevent condensation, and then thrust instantaneously into the test chamber. Spring loading obviates the use of weights, but it has the disadvantage of allowing some relaxation of the load if the specimen elongates during corrosion. The maximum loss in load found so far was 20 per cent. The air supplied to the test chamber is humidified by passing it through thermo¬statically controlled water. The air is dispersed into fine bubbles by being forced through a porous ceramic filter at the bottom of a tank containing about 10 liters of water. The temperature of the water is controlled independently of the tempera¬ture of the test chamber. Thus, with the