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 | The Jet Engine – A Material Designer’s Nightmare
Frank
Whittle, a 21-year-old Royal Air Force cadet, published a thesis proposing
aircraft jet propulsion in 1928. In 1941, his engine was first used to power an
airplane. The adoption of the jet engine quickly challenged the metallurgy of the
day to deal with the unique material issues of such a high-speed and
high-temperature device.
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The Iron Furnace – Seed of the Industrial Age
Today’s blast furnaces are distant cousins to
the iron works of the early colonial era. One such operation – possibly the
first successful iron works in the colonies – is the Tubal Works in Virginia.
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 | Aluminum – The Innovative Metal
As a result of its unique properties, aluminum
has been of key importance in many of the developments of the past century. Why
only a century or so? Because although aluminum is the most abundant metallic
element in the earth’s crust (8%), metallic aluminum was produced for the first
time just 200 years ago.
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 | The Future of Small is Big
Are you up to speed with nanotechnology? Nanotechnology,
which is literally the understanding and control of materials on an atomic or
molecular scale, has the potential for major improvements in a variety of
applications. For this reason, the U.S. government has invested more than $10
billion dollars in nanotechnology over the past decade.
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 | On the Hook with Heat Treatment
To fish, you need the right equipment, which definitely includes a hook.
Have you noticed there are hooks of various sizes and shapes, some with barbs
and some without? Why do the differences exist?
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 | Heat Treatment is a Lifesaver
Without
heat treatment, many of the products we use daily, and take for granted, would
need to be designed differently or would not function as effectively. One of
these is the automotive seat-belt clasp.
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The Famous Ride of a Foundryman/Metallurgist
Did you know that Paul Revere was an early
metallurgist? At 19, Revere took over the family silver
shop. A perfectionist throughout his life, he went on to become one of
America’s greatest artists in silver.
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 | Welding with a Bang
There are a number of ways
to join two metals together. Most of these involve some form of welding or
brazing with many variations in these techniques. One of the welding categories
is solid-state welding, and one of the eight solid-state welding techniques –
explosion welding (EXW) – meets a unique metal-joining need.
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 | Boring Made Interesting
A local tunneling project to extend a subway line created
interest in the large Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) being used. Just how does
this 23-foot-diameter machine with a length of 200 feet and a weight of 1.2
million pounds cut 35 feet of tunnel every day? And how does thermal processing
play a role?
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 | Artificial Joints – A Hot Topic
The aging of the largest segment of our population (the boomers) will surely increase the number of joint failures. When joints fail, the solution is often to replace the problem area with an artificial joint. Before that can happen, however, a number of thermal processes must take place because most of these replacement joints are made from a cast metallic alloy.
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 | Red Hot – Up Close and Personal
Who has a more personal connection to high-temperature metals processing than the blacksmith? Do you think blacksmiths no longer exist? Think again. This field is experiencing a bit of a resurgence as people look for a craft with an artistic component that can provide a usable product for those who are looking for something out of the ordinary.
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 | Keeping it Cool with Heat Treatment
What could be more common than the household refrigerator? It is the most-used appliance in America with more than 99.5% of homes having one. How did this come about, and what does heat treatment have to do with cooling things?
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 | Re-sounding Liberty
In October 1751, the Pennsylvania Assembly ordered the original Liberty Bell from Whitechapel Foundry in London. The bell arrived on Sept. 1, 1752. During the first test ring, the bell cracked.
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 | The Strongest Link
You’ve no doubt heard it said that a chain is no stronger than its weakest link. How do we know the links are strong enough? The key is heat treatment.
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 | Refined by Fire
Whatever happened to all of that scrap steel from the World Trade Center towers in the aftermath of the 9-11 tragedy? Like most metals, it is being recycled – melted down and made into something else. But into what?
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 | Take a Load Off
Gears have played a role since the invention of rotating machinery. Because of their force-multiplying characteristics, they were used by early engineers to lift building materials.
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 | Yard Work Heats Up
Ever wonder what the lawn mower, garden rake, pruning shears and garden tiller could have in common with the long-handle shovel, edging tool and the broadcast spreader? All of these tools are heat treated for durability.
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 | Freezing the Performance
One way most NASCAR teams have found to stay in the race is by cryogenically treating their parts. Let’s take a look at how cryogenics improves the performance of race-car parts.
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 | Going the Distance
There was a day, not that long ago, when the “woods” in your golf bag were actually made from wood – primarily persimmon and maple. At that time, your irons were mostly forged.
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 | Thermal Processing Makes Cents
Do coins burn a hole in your pocket? At some point in their manufacturing process, they certainly could. Hard to believe, but thermal processing plays multiple roles in the manufacture of the coins we use every day.
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 | Hypodermic – The Holey Needle
Just how do they get that small hole in the middle of that thin piece of metal? How is it made strong enough at such a thin gauge to do its job?
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 | Putting Teeth into Cutting
Consider the simple saw. As you ponder it, you realize that although we take saws for granted, they may not be as simple as they seem.
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 | Time to Get Your Bearings
In our industrialized society, bearings are literally what makes the world go ‘round. Without heat treatment, bearings could not do their job. So, by extension, heat treatment keeps the world’s wheels turning.
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 | The Cutting Edge
What would we do without knives? Knives, from the kitchen variety to utility to hunting, are a part of our daily lives.
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 | The Nuts and Bolts of … Bolts
Heat treatment is the key difference from one bolt to another, and understanding that difference is key to correct assembly design.
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 | Sewing Needles
Did you know that a sewing needle should be threaded from only one direction? That’s because the punched eyelet has a small burr on one side.
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 | Rare Earth Magnets
In today’s age of miniaturization, whenever energy and power are needed, rare earth magnets are called upon to play a vital role.
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 | The Hammer … Man’s Next Best Friend
While not his first invention, the hammer – and in particular the hammer head – has helped man expand his universe like no other invention until the advent of the personal computer.
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 | All About Scissors
Scissors come in all shapes and sizes and are used for applications as simple as cutting paper and as challenging as cutting Kevlar and for everything in between.
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