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ORNL-2053

Metallurgy and Ceramics

TID-4500 (llth ed.) Cff. #

A LABORATORY FOR THE HIGH-TEMPERATURE

CREEP TESTING OF METALS AND ALLOYS
IN CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENTS

D. A. Douglas
W. D. Manly

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UNCLASSIFIED

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UNCLASSIFIED
ORNL-2053

Contract No. W-7405-eng-26

METALLURGY DIVISION

A LABORATORY FOR THE HIGH-TEMPERATURE CREEP TESTING

OF METALS AND ALLOYS IN CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENTS

D. A. Douglas

W. D. Manly

DATEISSUEDL

SEP 1 1956

OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY

Operated by
UNION CARBIDE NUCLEAR COMPANY A Division of Union Carbide and Carbon Corporation Post Office Box P
MARTIN MARIETTA ENERGY SYSTEMS LIBRARIES

Oak Ridge, Tennessee

UNCLASSIFIED

3 WSb D3SD1DD 5

UNCLASSIFIED
ORNL-2053

Metallurgy and Ceramics

TID-4500 (11th ed.)
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UNCLASSIFIED

UNCLASSIFIED

CONTENTS

Gaseous and Vacuum Creep Testing Machines

Specimen Design

1
5

Operational Problems Liquid-Metal Creep-Testing Equipment

5 15

Tube Burst Testing Apparatus

Conclusions

23
23

Acknowledgments

29

UNCLASSIFIED

A LABORATORY FOR THE HIGH-TEMPERATURE CREEP TESTING OF

METALS AND ALLOYS IN CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENTS

D. A. Douglas The. determination of creep properties of metals and alloys has become increasingly important during the past decade as interest has increased in steam turbines, jet engines, and nuclear reactors, which require structural materials that are capable of withstanding increasingly higher and higher temperatures. Although much work has been done in creep testing and data have been made avail
able for most of the known materials considered

W. D. Manly to compensate for the heat losses at the ends of the tube and along the side arms. External shunts were provided to allow for adjustment of the vertical temperature gradients. Pull rods con nected to and extending through the two bellows make it possible to introduce a load on the speci
men inside the chamber. With the bottom pull rod anchored in place the specimen can be stressed

by application of a load to the top bellows through

a lever arm and a weight-pan system. Thermo couples are wired to the specimen, and the leads are brought out to a junction box through rubber

practical for high-temperature operations, almost

all data have been obtained in air, the environment

most commonly encountered in engineering appli cations. In the field of nuclear engineering,
however, structural materials at elevated tempera tures must be compatible with gases, various

glands.
eliminate

Space considerations and the need to

all internal sources of contamination

liquids, and liquid metals. It was realized, by W. D. Manly and R. B. Oliver, that the behavior of metals in air would not necessarily reflect
their behavior in these other environments; there

ruled out conventional extensometers utilizing A method developed by electronic signals. Battelle Memorial Institute was used to optically
measure the extension of specimens during creep

by means of a pair of dovetailed platinum alloy

strips, which were attached over the gage length
and referenced so that measurements could be

fore a program was initiated for the specific investigation of the effect of various environments on the high-temperature creep properties of metals. No commercial machines were available for testing
specimens in pure gases, in vacuum, or in a

liquid-metal

bath.

Therefore it was necessary

made with a microscope. Figure 2 shows the specimen connected to the top bellows, with the platinum strip and thermocouples in place ready for assembly in the test chamber. Figure 3
is a view of the scribed platinum strip from which
the extension measurements are made. A dial

to design and build such equipment at ORNL.

GASEOUS AND VACUUM CREEP TESTING MACHINES

gage attached to the pull rod outside the test

chamber acts as a rough check on the micrometer microscope readings. In the hands of experienced personnel this system is capable of detecting
strain in the order of 5 x 10 in. Although this

A testing chamber that is leaktight, free of atmospheric diffusion, and has no internal sources
of contamination is required for both the controlled

atmosphere and the vacuum-environment work.

In

order to satisfy these requirements it was neces

optical method of measuring extension introduces the problem of human error, the prevention of
environmental contamination and the lack of main

sary to devise a strong, impervious, test chamber,

which could be heated uniformly to any desired temperature and in which strain and temperature
measurements could be made on a stressed test

tenance problems are thought to more than offset

this disadvantage.

specimen.

Figure 1 illustrates the final design

of the chamber used for testing in gaseous environ ments; the chamber consists of a thick-walled

It is of creeps the which on mately 16

course obvious that as a specimen lever arm will travel through an arc, this particular equipment is approxi deg. The corresponding movement of

metal tube, water-jacketed on the ends to allow sufficient cooling for the brass bellows and for the rubber O-rings utilized as seals. Side arms were provided to allow for optical measurement of the specimen extension. Around the core the heating elements were wound in such a way as

the pull rod will cause a constantly varying force to be exerted on the specimen by the bellows as
it travels from a compressed position to an ex

tended one. It is desirable to compensate for this variable stress by exerting an equal varying
force in the opposite direction so that the tare

Fig. 1. Creep Frames for Testing in Gaseous Environments.

Fig. 2. Assembly of Specimen, Extensometer, Thermocouples, and Pull Rods with the Top Bellows Flange.

Fig. 3. Gage of a Specimen with Platinum Strip Extensometer in Place.

on the system will be constant in any lever-arm position. This can be accomplished by counterweighting the lever arm with a weight above the center line of the pivots (Fig. 4). The moment

this laboratory is given in a report by J. Lundholm,1

a former instrument engineer at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, who worked out many of the
control difficulties.
SPECIMEN DESIGN

arm of this force will then vary with the angular

position of the lever arm, and, with a proper adjustment of the height of the weight above the
lever arm, the variable tare of the bellows can

The selection of the type of specimen geometry

was considered most important, and considerable

be exactly counterbalanced. The proper cali bration can be accurately determined by mounting strain gages on a dummy specimen and assemblying the specimen in the test rig. Figure 5 shows the slightly different setup required for the vacuum-testing work. An oil diffusion pump (VMF-80-06, 250 w, 150 cc) used in conjunction with a mechanical fore pump pro vides a test atmosphere averaging 0.03 /x. The vacuum is monitored during test with a Phillips ion gage. Considerable outgassing occurs during the heating-up period at the start of the test, and it is necessary to predicate the rate of heating on the over-all capacity of the vacuum pumping
system.

study was given to this problem before the final configuration, as shown in Fig. 7, was decided
upon. There were several factors which led to

the selection of a flat sheet type of specimen rather than the more conventional round specimen for the test program.

1. Early detection of significant trends, an important factor in the investigation of environ mental effects, was more apt to be achieved in the sheet-type specimen because of its large
surface-area-to-volume ratio.

In all environmental work the use of a helium

leak detector is a necessity in order to ensure the integrity of the atmosphere. The standard procedure is to make a careful check for leaks, immediately after assembly and again after the test has reached temperature. Temperature itself plays an important role in all types of creep testing. With the use of a Leeds & Northrup duration-adjust-type controller (DAT) and a Speedomax recorder, a set temperature level in the range 1000 to 1800F can be maintained

2. The pin-type connection in the sheet specimen would, it was believed, tend to allow for general self-alignment during loading of the specimen. Since screw joint connections could not be used in tests in liquid metals because of galling and self-welding problems, it appeared obvious that

for the sake of uniformity of the specimen design

the flat specimen with the pin connection was the
more desirable.

3. The unit cost of machining the specimens, an

important consideration since it was envisioned that hundreds of such specimens would be needed,

within 1.5F.

Figure 6 is a view of one of the

The instrument on the

was lower with the sheet-type specimen. With the simple jig and the milling cutter, ground to the proper radius, shown in Figs. 8 and 9, it is pos
sible to machine about 12 specimens of the sheet type in the length of time required to machine one round bar specimen.
OPERATIONAL PROBLEMS

instrument panel boards showing the location of

recorders and controllers.

left

is

100-point precision indicator and is

used to obtain a precise temperature reading from each thermocouple in the test. Above the panel board is the alarm system, which gives both an audible and visible signal whenever a serious over or under temperature condition exists. Since the vacuum test is a particularly slow system to

In comparing the environmental effect of pure

gases in this investigation, hydrogen, nitrogen, and argon - with that of air, it is, of course, necessary to completely eliminate oxygen from

respond
at

to temperature fluctuations, especially

modification of the

low temperatures, some

DAT unit was required. One important modification consisted in introducing a manual control for
the rate-of-droop correction to allow for a slower reset rate. A complete discussion of the problems involved in setting up the instrumentation for

the test gas. In the case of hydrogen the con ventional method of using a platinum catalyst coupled with magnesium perchlorate drying tubes
J. Lundholm, Jr., Instrumentation for a Precision Creep Testing Laboratory, ORNL-1044 (Oct. 18, 1951); also, Proc. Instr. Soc. Am. 6, 43 (1951).

2E. G. Brush, Corrosion 11, 299T-302T (July 1955).

UNCLASSIFIED ORNL-LR-DWG 14673

COUNTER WEIGHT

AC,AC = VARIABLE MOMENT ARM OF THE COUNTER WEIGHT

B =
C =

POINT OF ACTION OF VARYING BELLOWS FORCE

FULCRUM

D POINT OF ACTION OF LOAD

Fig. 4. Diagram of a Lever-Arm System Counterweighted Above the Center Line.

Fig. 5. Creep Frames for Testing in Vacuum.

Fig. 6. Instrument Panel.

UNCLASSIFIED

ORNL-LR-DWG (4674

H in.

-4% in.

3V,6

~%in.^

( % in.

0.500 in. 0.00tin.

&

-V2 in. DRILL

Fig. 7. Sheet-Type Creep Specimen.

is sufficient to prevent the test pieces from

scaling

or discoloring during test.

Nitrogen,

which is heavily contaminated with oxygen when purchased from commercial vendors, poses a more difficult problem; it has to be bubbled through a

packed column of a sodium-potassium alloy which is liquid at room temperature in order for a large portion of the oxygen to be removed. The gas is then passed through a similar unit containing
sodium at 250C. This method of purifying nitrogen

to the point where it is introduced into the test chamber, which, at this Laboratory, necessitated the use of 50 ft of connecting tubing. The original installation of such tubing must be followed very closely to make sure that it is thoroughly cleaned and degreased and that no flux or other sources of
contamination are introduced into the system

during the final fabrication. One environmental effect not under investigation
but which caused trouble on two occasions was

will prevent the discoloration of a specimen during test. Argon, because of its inert nature, was
selected as an environment in which base-line data could be determined. Helium would, of

catastrophic

oxidation.

The original material

selected for the construction of the test chamber

core was type 316 stainless steel. This decision

was based on the ease of fabrication and the high-

course, provide an equally good environment; however, the extensive use of the helium leak detector made it mandatory that the background of helium be kept at a low level to ensure the sensi

temperature properties of this alloy.

struction of the furnace

In the con
it is

around the core

necessary, in order to maintain the rigid tempera

ture control required, to prevent chimney effects

tivity of this test. Although argon can be procured with a very low level of contamination, it was found that test specimens would not retain a bright tarnish-free surface unless additional puri fication was provided. Figure 10 is a design drawing of one of the hot sodium purification units, which have been found to be capable of continuous service for a number of years before

along the outer surface. As a result the air surrounding the core is quite static, thus providing
an ideal atmosphere for the initiation of cata

replacement becomes necessary. Little is accom plished by this type of purification unit unless
extreme care is taken to ensure that the purity of

strophic oxidation. This phenomenon is very prone to occur in materials containing alloying elements, whose oxides are quite volatile, such as vanadium or molybdenum. Type 316 stainless steel contains just enough molybdenum to make its behavior unpredictable. Figures 11 and 12
A. deS. Brasunas and N. J. Grant, Trans. Am. Soc. Metals 44, 1117-1149 (1952).

the gas as it emerges from the unit is maintained

UNCLASSIFIED

PHOTO 9843

ff
i im

Si ^4j L

Fig. 8. Jigs and Cutters for Machining Creep Specimens.

Fig. 9. Setup for Multiple Milling of Sheet-Type Creep Specimens.

UNCLASSIFIED
ORNL-IR-DWG 14675

OUTLET LINE

LIQUID DEFLECTORS

LIQUID PUMP COLUMNS

LIQUID

LEVEL

LIQUID RETURN LINE

STRIP HEATERS AND INSULATION

NLET

LINE

LIQUID

LEVEL

Fig. 10. Liquid-Metal Gas Purification Unit.

12

UNCLASSIFIED

Y-12547

Fig. 11. Oxidized Metal Liner from Gaseous Test Chamber.

OJ

unclassified Y-15607

Fig. 12. Oxidized Metal Liner from Gaseous Test Chamber Near Water-cooled Head.

14

illustrate the deterioration of one chamber in which

the catastrophic oxidation reaction occurred. Al though only two chambers, in over four years of continuous operation, have suffered from this defect, all subsequent chambers have been con structed of type 309 stainless steel. Another problem which became evident during the early part of the test program was that, for subsize specimens or conventional specimens
tested at low stresses, the inherent friction in the

the specimen assembled in the test chamber. A lever-arm system is used to exert the load through
a stainless steel bellows closure and can be

counterweighted similar to the gaseous type of test apparatus. Thin-wall tubing is used as

pivotal knife edges of the lever arm imposed a

stress variation of sufficient magnitude to warrant

correction. An easy solution to this problem appeared to be the installation of some type of
dead-load device which would not disturb the

purity of the environment. Figure 13 is a photo graph of the cylindrical shell, which can be
attached to the bottom of the test chamber and

sealed with the standard rubber O-rings.

This

shell encases a weight pan and hydraulic jack and allows for the direct loading of the standard sheet type of specimens to about 3000 psi. Figure 14 shows the isoelastic spring used to
connect the bottom pull rod to the rod holding the

weight pan; the strain gage attached to the re

duced section of the rod enables the operator to

load the specimen incrementally by lowering the hydraulic jack.

LIQUID-METAL CREEP-TESTING EQUIPMENT

In designing the liquid-metal creep-testing equip ment it was necessary that the system be abso lutely leaktight, not only to provide the proper test
conditions but also to afford protection to operating

personnel.

The main shift in design philosophy

from that used with the gaseous creep apparatus

was the recognition of the complexities that would be involved in trying to devise a bottom closure so that the pull rod could be anchored outside the liquid-metal container; therefore attention was given to the possibility of anchoring the pull rod inside. Figure 15 shows the component parts of the final design. A capped, heavy-walled pipe with a flanged top acts as the container for the

liquid metal. A smaller diameter pipe, perforated

to allow for circulation, is suspended from the

top flange and serves as an anchor for the bottom pul l-rod. The specimen and the pul l-rod components fit inside- this "compression tube," which is sufficiently large for its deformation under load to be neglected. Figure 16 shows, schematically,

Fig. 13.

Cylinder Encasing Weights for Dead-

Load Creep Tests.

15

UNCLASSIFIED

Y-15916

Fig. 14. Isoelastic Spring, Strain Gage, and Weights for Incremental Loading in Dead-Load Creep Tests.

16

fl5WWa*gJ=pK*7*5

Fig. 15. Component Parts of Liquid-Metal Creep-testing Apparatus.

17

UNCLASSIFIED ORNL-LR-DWG 14676

BELLOWS

INLET FOR COOLANT

LIQUID METAL

TEST SPECIMEN -

Fig. 16. Assembly Drawing of Liquid-Metal Creep-testing Apparatus.

18

protective shields for the thermocouples to prevent their being attacked by the liquid metal. The corrosive effects of liquid metals and their vapors made it necessary to position the strain measuring device outside the chamber. A 0.001-in. dial gage is used to sense the movement of the pull rod above the bellows. The errors inherent in a measuring system that is dependent on the relative movement of parts 12 in. or more from the actual gage of the specimen and the effects of ambient temperature cycles on a bellows cause considerable scattering in the data for the first 0.5% strain. The reproducibility of strain measure

disconnect them, thus facilitating the ease of operation as well as providing the necessary leaktight integrity.

It has been found that small amounts of oxygen

or carbon contamination of the liquid-metal bath

can produce substantial changes in the hightemperature properties of many materials.4 It is

therefore necessary, before the test begins, to completely clean not only the test specimen but
all component parts which are in contact with

ments above 0.5% is good, and reliable design

data can be obtained.

the liquid environment. Although steam jets and acid dips have been tried, the most satisfactory cleaning method is to charge the assembled test
chamber with the particular molten media of interest

The liquid-metal test environment must be trans

ferred from an outside container into the test

and allow a soaking period at the test temperature. After this batch is discharged, the actual test
charge can be introduced with the assurance that

chamber through a completely closed system. The

all contaminants have been removed. Another very

important precaution which must be strictly adhered to in this type of testing is that all metal surfaces exposed to the liquid metal be of the same material or at least be very similar in chemical composition.

level of this liquid medium must be carefully controlled so that the specimen will be entirely
covered but the chamber will not be overfilled. A

procedure has been developed which allows the operator to establish the precise level of the liquid desired. An ordinary spark plug is welded to a length of metal rod, and the rod is introduced into the chamber through an appropriate seal in the top flange. The length of the probe is cut at the required level. A resistance meter is attached to the spark plug and grounded through the frame of the machine. When the liquid metal reaches the probe, the meter shows an instant response, as evidenced by the needle moving from infinite resistance to essentially zero resistance. Addi tional control of the level of the liquid can be obtained by bringing the charge line, through which the liquid is introduced into the chamber, down the inside wall to the required level. After the signal has been observed on the resistance meter and the flow of metal has been stopped, it is possible to reverse the pressure and force any liquid above the outlet of the tube back into the charging container. It has been found that differ ential pressure is the best motivating force for effecting the transfer of the molten metals from one container to another. Figure 17 is a photo graph of the portable rig which contains the furnace and controllers, for heating the metal, and the tanks of gas and regulators to control the flow of the molten metal from the charge pot into the test chamber. Swagelok fittings are used to connect
the transfer lines to the test chamber and to

Otherwise,
"dissimilar

a corrosion phenomenon known as

metal transfer" will occur with a

detrimental effect either on the test specimen or

on the accessory metal parts of the assembly.

Figure 18 is a drawing illustrating the test rig

used for low-stress tests. In this machine a lever

arm with a 1:1 ratio is employed. The lever arm is made of magnesium and is suspended by reeds to reduce the tare and friction in the system. The relatively large distance between the pull rod and center pivot of the lever arm makes it impractical to employ the counterweighting system described
for the other lever-arm machines. Instead, two

small metal pots are partially filled with mercury and interconnected by two lengths of tubing. One
pot is fastened to the front of the lever arm and the other to the back. The displacement of the mercury from one pot to the other in relation to

the position of the lever arm can be regulated by shifting the positions of the pots to automatically counterbalance the changing spring load of the
bellows. Figure 19 is a view of a number of the test machines now in operation.

C. B. Jackson (ed.), Liquid Metals Handbook, SodiumNaK Supplement, TID-5277 (July 1, 1955).

R. N. Lyon (Ed.-in-Chief), Liquid Metals Handbook,

2d ed. NAVEXOS P-733(rev.) (June 1952).

19

Fig. 17. Portable Rig for Charging and Discharging Liquid Metal in the Test Chambers.

20

UNCLASSIFIED
ORNL-LR-DWG 14677

>THERMOCOUPLES

10

12

SCALE IN INCHES

Fig. 18. Assembly Drawing Showing the Counterweighting System on a 1:1 Lever Arm.

21

Fig. 19. Six Liquid-Metal Creep-testing Frames.

TUBE-BURST TESTING APPARATUS

In the design of nuclear reactors many component

valve which periodically isolates the specimen from the pressure source so that the pressure will bleed
down when failure occurs. Next in the line is the

parts consist of pipe or tubing. The design engineer must, then, be concerned with the high-temperature properties of structures utilizing this configuration. The question naturally arises as to the reliability of data obtained from uniaxially stressed sheet specimens as design criteria for internally pres
surized tubes. In order to resolve this question, an

pressure switch which signals failure of the speci men. When a drop of from 10 to 15 lb in pressure occurs, the switch is activated and an electrical circuit is opened. This cuts off the cycle timer and the clock which is recording the test time. With the stoppage of the cycle timer the solenoid valve re
mains closed so that there is no excessive loss of

apparatus was devised in which pipe or tubing could

be tested in the environments of interest. Figure

20 is a descriptive drawing showing the test cham ber, the specimen, and the necessary accessories. The problems of measuring temperature, of filling the chamber, and of discharging the molten metals
are similar to those encountered in the lever-arm

creep machines. The specimen consists of a length of tubing with a reduced wall thickness along a 2in.-gage section. One end is sealed, and pressure
is introduced at the other end as a means of in

gas from the argon tank. Following the pressure switch is a long-scale pressure gage which enables the operator to accurately establish the desired pressure on the specimen. Figure 23 is a photo graph of a section of the panel board showing some of the temperature controllers and recorders, the Variacs, the clock timers, and the Flexopulse cycle
timers.

ducing the stress in the specimen. Under these conditions the stress system is biaxial, with the tangential or hoop stress being twice the stress in
the axial direction. It is possible to modify this setup as shown in Fig. 21 so that the specimen can be stressed only in the tangential direction, only in the axial direction, or in any simple ratio of these two stress directions by changing the pressure on either side of the piston. It is also possible to introduce cyclic stresses by alternately pressur

CONCLUSIONS

Through the use of the equipment described, de sign information similar to the curves shown in Fig.
24 has been obtained for a number of materials,

over a wide range of temperatures, and in many dif ferent environments. The reliability of the data obtained in the gaseous and vacuum type of creep
machines compares favorably with that obtained from the conventional apparatus used for testing in air. The data obtained in the liquid-metal test units
show considerable scatter at 0.5% strain and below.

izing one side and then the other of the piston. The flexibility of the test is one of its most
attractive features. The main drawback to this

This equipment should be modified to improve the sensitivity of the extensometer system for the meas
urement of strains of less than 1.0%.

type of test is that there appears to be no feasible way of measuring deformation during the test, so
that results must be compared on the basis of the total time to rupture. Since establishing the time

to rupture is very important, considerable effort

was made to determine the exact time that failure occurs. The encasement of the specimen in a metal chamber containing a liquid metal or a pure gas re

The life of this equipment cannot be accurately estimated, since, after four years of almost continu ous service, all the major component parts are still in operation. A program of preventive maintenance has ensured uninterrupted operation of the tempera ture-controlling instruments. The records indicate that for the vacuum and gaseous test machines

stricts the possible methods of determining failure. However, by inserting a sensitive pressure switch in the line from the pressure source to the specimen it is possible to detect the drop in pressure which occurs as the high-pressure gas in the specimen leaks out through the intergranular cracks which

during the past four years only 2.0% of the available

testing time that was lost was due either to the necessary disassembly of completed tests and ini tiation of new tests or to maintenance and repair. About 5.0 to 7.0% of the available testing time was lost in the operation of the liquid-metal test ma
chines.

propagate through the wall of the specimen. Figure 22 is a photograph showing the test apparatus. On
the left is the argon tank, which is the pressure source. The small cylindrical can is the solenoid

It has been gratifying to the personnel in the Met allurgy Division to note that the equipment de scribed here has been used as a model by a number

23

UNCLASSIFIED
ORNL-LR-DWG 14678

.ARGON OUTLET

PRESSURE LINE

ANGLE

VALVE

SIGHT FEED BUBBLER-

THERMOCOUPLES

SPECIMEN

'

SCALE IN INCHES

Fig. 20. Assembly Drawing of Tube-Burst Testing Apparatus.

24

UNCLASSIFIED ORNL-LR-DWG 14679

PISTON PRESSURE

O-RING

PISTON PRESSURE

-COOLING WATER IN

COOLING WATER OUT

CONTAINER FOR TEST ENVIRONMENT-

Fig. 21. Assembly Drawing of Strain-cycling Apparatus.

25

Fig. 22. Control Equipment Used for Tube-Burst Testing.

UNCLASSIFIED

Y. 13950

* - i

8 Q B

Fig. 23. Instrumentation for Tube-Burst Testing.

27

UNCLASSIFIED
CO

ORNL-LR-DWG 14680

20,000

10,000

5000

2000

1000 100 200

1000

2000

5000

10,000

TIME (hr)

Fig. 24. Typical Design Curves.

of other laboratories who have become interested in

thi s type of testing.

longs chiefly to R. B. Oliver, who was at that time in charge of the Mechanical Testing Group. Con
siderable assistance on the difficult design prob

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

In the development of the various equipment for this laboratory, ideas were gathered from many sources at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and from other testing laboratories around the country. Thus it is impossible to credit any one individual with the specific ideas which culminated in the equipment described. However, credit for the syn thesis of all the ideas, and the evolution of the

lems was afforded by A. M. Tripp, W. A. Pate, and J. M. Kasserman of the Engineering Department. The furnace used in the vacuum and gaseous creep rigs was designed by the Marshall Furnace Company
of Columbus, Ohio. J. Lundholm, formerly with the Instrument Department, was of invaluable assist ance in solving some of the complex instrumentation problems. Many improvements have been made in the equipment over the past four years, and most of

the modifications have resulted from proposals by

the excellent technician staff, which operates the
equipment.

designs from their inception to their final form, be

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