Mechanical Properties Of Iron-Manganese Alloys

No observations on the mechanical properties of iron-manganese alloys have been published since pure manganese became readily available, either distilled manganese or electrolytic manganese. The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether iron-manganese alloys are essentially brittle, as reported by Hadfield,1 or whether the lack of ductility observed was due to impurities in the alloys that he studied. EXPERIMENTAL METHODS The alloys were melted in a 100-lb. high-frequency induction furnace with a magnesia crucible, using ingot iron and electrolytic manganese. The heats were split, the first giving six 18-lb. ingots and the second three. Each successive heat was higher in manganese and about 0.3 per cent silicon [ ] was added as ferrosilicon. The alloys forged without difficulty-and were given a 90 percent reduction to 3/4-in. rounds. The chemical analysis of the alloys is given in Table I. The forged rods were homogenized for [ ] 24 hr. at 1150°C. (2100°F.) and air-cooled. The alloys were tested in two conditions of heat-treatment: (I) as normalized from 870°C. (1600°F.) and (2) normalized from 870°C. and tempered for z hr. at 540°C. (1000°F.) and air-cooled. The tensile specimens were 0.505 in. in diameter with a 2-in. gauge length, and the impact specimens were V-notch Charpy. The proportional limit and yield strength were taken from the stress-strain diagrams drawn by a Peters recorder. The data obtained from the tensile test and the hardness measurements are given in Table 2. Specimens that were normalized are designated by N; those that were normalized and tempered by T. Alloy G was tempered after forging (D).