A NEW METAL.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2497, 6 January 1877, Page 4

A NEW METAL.

A new compound metal, which promises to'prove of cbnsideiable value in mechanical construction, has recently been introduced to public notice under the name of manganese bronze.. This metal owes its . origin to Mr P. M. Parsons, who is the , inventor of another useful metal known as white brass, which is made by the White Brass Company, of Lombard street, Southwark. It is produced by mixing manganese in certain proportions with molten fcronze, the result of which is a material of great toughness, and possessing remarkable resistance to tensional strain. • The j pew v- aUpy 4s . advantageously used in a variety of case's where gun-metal, bronze, and yellow, metal are ordinarily applied. In a molten condition it is readily cast into any required shape, and in this form it is stated to exceed the; best gun-metal in strength and toughness by about 50 per cent., and to be about equal to wrought-iron of average quality. It can also be forged or rolled at a red heat, and drawn into tubes or wire, its strength being increased to that of mild steel by this process, and its toughness being, brought nearly up to that -of copper. It can also be made to various degrees of hardness. Samples of this metal were tried at the Jfoyal Gun Fac-j tones, Woolwich Arsenal, when No. 1! quality was found to have an ultimate tensile strength of 24*3 tons per square inch, an elastic limit of 14; tons' pe"r square inch, and to stretch nearly 9 per cent, of^its length before breaking.. No. .2 quality, which is slightly harder than rJSTo.-l, has a high elastic limit of nearly 17 tons per square inch, an ultimate ten■sile strength of 23*6 tons per square inch, the elongation being '076 in two inches, although there was a slight flaw in the specimen. The specimens were those of cast metal, and by forging or rolling either: quality at red heat they are stated to ac-, quire a tensile strength of from 29 to §0 tons per square inch, and to stretch from 20 to 30 per cept.! of their length before breaking. Some samples of the metal were exhibited at "a.meeting of the Iron: and Steel Institute. .