Alloying addition

Alloy cast irons. Alloy additions are made to cast irons to improve the properties for particular purposes. Alloy cast irons can be used in engineering applications where plain cast iron is unsuitable and may even replace steel for some components such as crankshafts. 

Niobium is important as an alloy addition in steels (see Steel). This use consumes over 90% of the niobium produced. Niobium is also vital as an alloying element in superalloys for aircraft turbine engines. Other uses, mainly in aerospace appHcations, take advantage of its heat resistance when alloyed singly or with groups of elements such as titanium, tirconium, hafnium, or tungsten. Niobium alloyed with titanium or with tin is also important in the superconductor industry (see High temperature alloys Refractories). 

Quantitative aluminum deterrninations in aluminum and aluminum base alloys is rarely done. The aluminum content is generally inferred as the balance after determining alloying additions and tramp elements. When aluminum is present as an alloying component in alternative alloy systems it is commonly deterrnined by some form of spectroscopy (qv) spark source emission, x-ray fluorescence, plasma emission (both inductively coupled and d-c plasmas), or atomic absorption using a nitrous oxide acetylene flame. 

Metallui ical. The metallurgical appfications of selenium normally involve its use as a minor alloying additive to enhance the properties of both ferrous and nonferrous metals and alloys (see Iron Steel). 

Selenium is added up to 0.1% to silicon steels (2—4% Si) used in transformer cores to enhance the development of the secondary recrystallization texture which, in turn, improves the magnetic characteristics. Selenium alloying additions to the melt may be made as elemental Se, nickel—selenium, or ferroselenium. The recovery depends on the melting practice and method of addition. Normally, it is in the range of 66%, but may be as high as 90%. 

Ladle metallurgy, the treatment of Hquid steel in the ladle, is a field in which several new processes, or new combinations of old processes, continue to be developed (19,20). The objectives often include one or more of the following on a given heat more efficient methods for alloy additions and control of final chemistry improved temperature and composition homogenisation inclusion flotation desulfurization and dephosphorization sulfide and oxide shape control and vacuum degassing, especially for hydrogen and carbon monoxide to make interstitial-free (IF) steels. Electric arcs are normally used to raise the temperature of the Hquid metal (ladle arc furnace). 

Measurements of stress relaxation on tempering indicate that, in a plain carbon steel, residual stresses are significantly lowered by heating to temperatures as low as 150°C, but that temperatures of 480°C and above are required to reduce these stresses to adequately low values. The times and temperatures required for stress reUef depend on the high temperature yield strength of the steel, because stress reUef results from the localized plastic flow that occurs when the steel is heated to a temperature where its yield strength is less than the internal stress. This phenomenon may be affected markedly by composition, and particularly by alloy additions. 

Conversion of fused pentoxide to alloy additives is by far the largest use of vanadium compounds. Air-dried pentoxide, ammonium vanadate, and some fused pentoxide, representing ca 10% of primary vanadium production, are used as such, purified, or converted to other forms for catalytic, chemical, ceramic, or specialty appHcations. The dominant single use of vanadium chemicals is in catalysts (see Catalysis). Much less is consumed in ceramics and electronic gear, which are the other significant uses (see Batteries). Many of the numerous uses reported in the Hterature are speculative, proposed. 

Electrical conductivity of copper is affected by temperature, alloy additions and impurities, and cold work (9—12). Relative to temperature, the electrical conductivity of armealed copper falls from 100 % lACS at room temperature to 65 % lACS at 150°C. Alloying invariably decreases conductivity. Cold work also decreases electrical conductivity as more and more dislocation and microstmctural defects are incorporated into the armealed grains. These defects interfere with the passage of conduction electrons. Conductivity decreases by about 3—5% lACS for pure copper when cold worked 75% reduction in area. The conductivity of alloys is also affected to about the same degree by cold work. 

Admiralty Brass and Naval Brass are 30 and 40% zinc alloys, respectively, to which a 1% tin addition has been added. Resistance to dezincification of Cu—Zn alloys is increased by tin additions. Therefore, these alloys are important for thein corrosion resistance in condenser tube appHcations. In these, as weU as the other higher zinc compositions, it is common to use other alloying additives to enhance corrosion resistance. In particular, a small amount (0.02—0.10 wt %) of arsenic (C443), antimony (C444), or phosphoms (C445) is added to control dezincification. When any of these elements are used, the alloy is referred as being "inhibited." For good stress corrosion resistance, it is recommended that these alloys be used in the fiiUy annealed condition or in the cold worked plus stress reHef annealed condition. 

These three passive systems are important in the technique of anodic protection (see Chapter 21). The kinetics of the cathodic partial reaction and therefore curves of type I, II or III depend on the material and the particular medium. Case III can be achieved by alloying additions of cathodically acting elements such as Pt, Pd, Ag, and Cu. In principle, this is a case of galvanic anodic protection by cathodic constituents of the microstructure [50]. 

L erung./. alloy alloying. L erungs-bestandteil, m. alloy constituent. -Stahl, m. alloy steel, -zusatz, m. alloying addition. 

It is also of interest to note that Wranglen considers that the decrease in the corrosion rate of steel in the atmosphere and the pitting rate in acid and neutral solution brought about by small alloying additions of copper is due to the formation of CU2S, which reduces the activity of the HS and Scions to a very low value so that they do not catalyse anodic dissolution, and a similar mechanism was put forward by Fyfe etal. to explain the corrosion resistance of copper-containing steels when exposed to industrial atmospheres. 

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