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National Resources Planning Board 



Scope of Metallurgy 



Advanceinciit in metallurgy is important, not only 

 to the industries that are recognized as primarily 

 metallurgical, but to every industrj', for all industries 

 depend upon metals, either directly as forming a part 

 of the product, or indirectly in the form of machinery 

 and tools, or still more indirectly, in transporting raw 

 materials and finished products. 



The modern airplane is the result both of research 

 in aerodjnamics and the like and also of research on 

 materials of construction. In the engine, many metals 

 are used the successful extraction of which from the 

 ores, as well as their purification, alloying, heat treat- 

 ment, and even their machining to size, are the fruits 

 of long-continued research by many individuals and 

 organizations. In an airplane itself the materials are 

 largely cliromium-molybdenum steel and strong alumi- 

 num alloys, with stainless steel as a possible alternative 

 for the latter. 



The automobile likewise calls for a variety of alloy 

 steels; for nonferrous alloys in bearings, radiator, 

 storage battery, head lamps, cylinder heads, etc.; for 

 cast iron for cylinder blocks and braking sm-faces. 



FicuRK M). — Ir-iupiin I'rccisioii .Metal Working Machine, Alu- 

 minum Research Laboratories, Alun;inuro Company of 

 America, New Kensington, Pennsylvania 



special alloys for pistons, wide steel sheets of high form- 

 ability and suitable weldability for the body, zinc-base 

 die castings for the grilles, and stainless or chromium 

 plated steel for hub caps and trim. All these various 

 metallic materials are chosen for their particular com- 

 binations of mechanical properties, reliability, cheap- 

 ness, formability, machinability, appearance, and so on 

 Among the paramount characteristics of materials for 

 low-cost production are the ability to be formed and 

 machined readily. Likewise, effective forming equip- 

 ment and cutting tools are required. In assembly, 

 rapid welding is almost as important as are machin- 

 ing and grinding for bringing pieces to the required 

 dimensional limits. In inspection for that dimensional 

 accuracy, which permits the use of interchangeable 

 parts, gages that are wear-resistant and metallurgically 

 stable in their own dimensions, are prerequisites. 



The railroads need rails and wheels that will not fail 

 in service and materials for car construction of high 

 strength-weight ratio that afford safety with minimum 

 dead load and maximum pay load. Marked advances 

 have been made in providing metallurgical products 

 that fill these needs. 



The electrical industry has succeeded in halving the 

 coal required per kilowatt-hour as compared with re- 

 quirements of about a decade ago, and in vastly in- 

 creasing the illumination produced per kilowatt from 

 electric lights in about the same period. Steels that 

 permit the boilers and turbines to operate at higher 

 temperatures and pressures were essential in the one 

 case, ductile tungsten in the other 



Advances in the chemical industry bring increased 

 demands on metallurgy for materials of construction 

 that combine the other necessary properties with corro- 

 sion resistance under many unusual and difficult condi- 

 tions. Other industries the final products of which are 

 wholly nonmctallic, such as the lumber, paper, textile, 

 plastics, glass, and ceramic industries, require metals 

 with special characteristics for saws, calendering rolls 

 Fourdrinier wires, sulfite digesters, looms, rayon spin- 

 nerets, molds, furnace parts, and so on. Anything made 

 by machinerj' indirectly requires that there be metals in 

 the machines and metal-cutting tools for making them. 

 Modern agriculture must have tools, tractors, and other 

 machines for tilling, cultivating, and harvesting. The 

 food industries require metals in their processing equip- 

 juent as well as tin cans to hold the product. Road 

 making calls for rock crushers, and so on. All the 

 transportation industries, the petroleimi industry, the 

 electrical industry, indeed, any industrj^ you care to 

 name, vitally depends on metallurgy. 



Economic Consequences of Metallurgical Research 



The service and satisfaction to the public provided 

 by the products of metallurgical research which meet 



