Subject: Re: Exotic Hi-temp alloys

From: [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 29 Feb 1996 08:24:10 -0500

To all,
"Alpha or beta" type alloys refers only to the cyrstaline structure of the
material in the same sense as does "austenitic or ferritic" stainless steels.
Whether or not the alloy is alph or beta stable at room temperature depends
on the alloy content and to some extent to its thermal history. 
In reference to shop safety, please refer to the messages about the videos
where the demonstrator is not wearing eye protection.....
The suggestion that if you have a piece of a titanium alloy of unknown
compostion that a way to tell if it is a beta alloy is" to forge it for ten
minutes and then wait two hours to see if you get sick" is about the most
obscene piece of advice I have ever heard. Would you check to see if a gun is
loaded by putting it to your head and pulling the trigger six times?
Let's be careful out there.

Bill Hochella

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From: "Szucs" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 29 Feb 1996 10:32:50 -0500

> Let's be careful out there.

	I wasn't gonna say anything, mainly beccause I've been busy at
	work (imagine that), but since the can's been opened, I will
	express my strong agreement with Bill.  The advice is by no means
	sound and if extended to other aspects of your life would probably
	a person dead within the month.

	Metal poisoning is not a pretty thing and often the effects and
	damage last a lifetime.  As Bill said, be careful, your health
	and maybe even your life may be at stake.

	-Andy V.