A NEW ALUMINIUM ALLOY.
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An All-metal Alloy Possessing the Characteristics of High-grade Steel.
By Henry Sturmey.
EVERY extra pound of material used 11 the construction of motor vehicles means so much more power required to propel it, so that, if we can reduce the weight Of our vehicles without reducing their strength, we are making a substantial contribution towards the reduction of running expenses and of the cost of transit. Aluminium is already used in the construction of gearboxes, engine base chambers and differential cases to a considerable extent, and this use has the effect of substantially reducing the weight of the complete vehicle as compared with the original figures, but•aluminium has its limitations and can only be employed for those parts, of the chassis which are subject to little stress If we could obtain a material with greater strength in relation to weight, we could, of course, reduce dimensions, and hence weight, considerably and, if we could obtain such a metal of sufficient strength to meet the stresses encountered in the more important parts of chassis, with less than half the 'weight of present material, we should have a reasonable chance of bringing down the weight of complete chassis by 50 per cent., and it is easy to see what a big reduction in transportation cost would follow if chassis could be built at half their present weights. Less power would be required and smaller engines could be used for the same work. This, in turn, would reduce cost.
It may seem rather far-fetched to be talking about a 50 per cent. reduction in the weight of a chassis, but this really appears to be a possibility within sight, if a new aluminium alloy, which has been perfected by a Swiss inventor, who is now seeking capital support for its manufacture, is all that it is claimed to be. His claims are supported by reports from Swiss, German arid American authoritative institutions. I have been shown copies of these tests, from which the following particulars have been obtained. The new alloy is entirely a metal/ alloy. It is not an admixture, with aluminium, of chemical substances, but of other metals-the nature of which the inventor does not disclose-and it is said to be usable, not only in the form of castings, but in bars, sheet and wire and it can be rolled, drawn' pressed or forged and may be bent to an angle of 180 degrees if necessary. The tensile strength can be regulated at will to any particular degree required, up to 70,688 lb. per square inch in castings and 99,561 lb. in bars, the latter figure being only just short of 45 tons to the square inch. Elasticity, in castings form, runs from .5 per cent. to 12 per cent. in 2 ins, and in bars and sheet from 2.3 per cent. to 8 per cent., whilst it possesses a Brinell hardness of 95-104. The metal is claimed to be absolutely flawless, to possess superior heat-conducting qualities and to machine easily and quickly, whilst it can be re-cast without loss in tensile strength, and shrinking is eliminated. It also rings and has a uniform grain like tool steel and its yield point is fully 80 per cent.
Furthermore, it has great resistance to sulphurio gases and carbon dioxides, and it is said that several pieces immersed in the -water of the Pacific ocean since 1923, show no signs of corrosion, so that it would appear to be a rustless metal.
As to the cost, it is claimed that the cost of production is approximately the same as that cif pure aluminium ingot. rt would probably be sold At half as much again, but as the specific gravity is given as 3.1, or about 10 per cent. heavier than pure aluminium, or say 60 per cent. lighter than cast-iron, whilst the cost per pound of the material would be more, the aggregate weight of material used should net be more than half that used at the present time, so that one would to a certain extent balance the other. Its advantages, therefore, would appear to be great.