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  • 1.  Effect of impurities on mechanical properties of brasses

    Posted 04-06-2022 05:00
    The effect of impurities on the ductility, both hot and cold, of brass has been known for centuries: in the Middle Ages wrought brass had much lower concentrations of impurities such as arsenic and antimony than cast brass. What I am hoping that members of ASM might assist me with is in pointing me to early references in the metallurgical literature. I imagine there should be papers, say, from the first quarter of the 20th century. All help will be much appreciated.


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    Peter Northover
    Retired
    University of Oxford
    +44 1865 820543
    peter.northover@retired.ox.ac.uk
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  • 2.  RE: Effect of impurities on mechanical properties of brasses

    Posted 04-16-2022 14:04
      |   view attached
    What do you mean by impurities - non-metallic inclusions?
    I've attached a file PDF of Comstock 1918 NMI in Brass and Bronzes

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    Edward Vojcak
    Senior Metallurgical Engineer
    SGS North America
    Blue Island IL
    (708) 595-8734
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    Attachment(s)

    pdf
    060-37_NMI_1918.pdf   1.61 MB 1 version
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  • 3.  RE: Effect of impurities on mechanical properties of brasses

    Posted 04-17-2022 11:08

    Thanks a lot, Edward, for sharing with us this piece of history.

    It epitomizes the approach early scientists had with their work.

    They knew that they were exploring a new field and could be wrong, even if we can say that they were very accurate in what they were doing. The last paragraph from the excerpt of Comstock 1918 article you sent us is very illuminating of his aptitude:

     

    In presenting these notes the writer (Comstock, editor's note) does not claim to have made

    any remarkable discovery or to have found the best method for identifying

    the non-metallic inclusions in non-ferrous metals, nor does he claim

    to be able to identify every inclusion that may occur in a bronze. It is

    hoped, however, that the notes may be of some interest or possible

    value to other metallographists, and may bring out criticisms or further

    suggestions along these lines which will accelerate progress toward the

    the true interpretation of everything that we see in metals with the

    microscope.



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    Donato FIRRAO FASM
    Professor
    Politecnico di Torino
    TORINO
    +393351494032
    Italy
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  • 4.  RE: Effect of impurities on mechanical properties of brasses

    Posted 04-17-2022 12:01
    Many thanks to Edward and Donato for their replies. By impurities I do mean those in solid solution, especially iron, nickel, arsenic, and antimony, possibly silver. For the periods in which I am interested inclusions can be sulphides or oxides depending on the ores and smelting process for the copper - I am interested in periods and places where the only brass-making process is cementation so any sulphur will come from the copper ore. Given AIM's origins in the America Brass Founders' Association the the proceedings of the AIM could be a good place to look. The Journal of the Institute of Metals in the UK would also help but that means a certain amount of effort as the early volumes are in the Bodleian Library's repository. Before I retired, because of lack of space elsewhere I had Hume-Rothery's copy on my office shelves, but I had to give it back.

    Regards,
    Peter Northover

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    Peter Northover
    Retired
    University of Oxford
    +44 1865 820543
    peter.northover@retired.ox.ac.uk
    ------------------------------

    Education courses