Some Suggestions Regarding The Determination Of The Properties Of Steel (b780d9cc-fc97-46b3-a326-5dbe44e19440)

Discussion of the paper of A. N. MITINSKY, presented at the San Francisco meeting, September, 1915, and printed in Bulletin No. 104, August, 1915, pp. 1697 to 1705. LAWFORD H. FRY, Burnham, Pa. (communication to the Secretary*). -The author assumes that the proportional limit and the elastic limit are coincident or very nearly so, and then further assumes that the stress corresponding to these two points is the least stress which if repeated will cause failure. The point is extremely interesting and it is to be regretted that the author did not quote experimental data to show the relation between the limit of repeated stress and the other properties of the material. The author's suggestion that a steel of poor quality may have a normal value for the yield point and tensile strength (see Fig. 2) and an abnormally low elastic limit, and that this will correspond to a low resistance to repeated stress, may account for a number of failures of axles in which the tensile tests show normal physical properties. If so and if a determination of the proportional limit would have eliminated the material before it was put into service, this determination will merit most earnest attention. It appears, however, that considerable further research is necessary before any definite conclusion as to the quality of a steel can be drawn from its proportional limit. Mr. Mitinsky's paper is extremely interesting and if it stimulates thought and work along the lines indicated, it may prove of considerable practical benefit. H. V. WILLE, Philadelphia, Pa.-The paper discusses the difference between the proportional limit, or elastic limit, and the yield point, and refers to the fact that much harm results from confusion of the terms yield point and elastic limit. Similar confusion has arisen in this country; the American-Society for Testing Materials does not even consider the elastic limit and proportional limit to be identical and recently adopted the following definitions: