What did Harry Brearley invent?

Stainless steel
Harry Brearley/Inventions

Harry Brearley made his name as a metallurgist when he discovered stainless steel in 1913. He was born in 1871 into a poor family who lived in one room at the back of Spital Street.

What city did Harry Brearley discover stainless steel?

Sheffield, UK
Invention of Stainless Steel In 1913, Harry Brearley of Sheffield, UK discovered ‘rustless’ steel. Although there had been many prior attempts, Brearley has been credited with inventing the first true stainless steel, which had a 12.8% chromium content.

How did Harry Brearley discover stainless steel?

So we come now to Harry Brearley. In 1912, in Sheffield, while seeking a corrosion-resistant alloy for gun barrels during his work at the Brown-Firth research laboratory, Brearley discovered a martensitic stainless steel alloy. The discovery was mentioned in a January 1915 newspaper article in The New York Times.

Who first discovered stainless steel?

Harry Brearley
Elwood HaynesRobert Forester Mushet
Stainless steel/Inventors
On the 13th August 1913 Brearley created a steel with 12.8% chromium and 0.24% carbon, argued to be the first ever stainless steel.

Can stainless steel rust?

Stainless steel remains stainless, or does not rust, because of the interaction between its alloying elements and the environment. These elements react with oxygen from water and air to form a very thin, stable film that consists of such corrosion products as metal oxides and hydroxides.

Who patented stainless steel?

Harry Brearley
Harry Brearley invented the first true stainless steel in 1913. He added 12.8% chromium to iron, and produced a metal that he found was resistant to both corrosion and rust.

What country does stainless steel come from?

The choice of location was no coincidence: Indonesia has the world’s largest reserves of nickel, a key component of stainless steel. More than two-thirds of the world’s nickel is used to make stainless steel. (Regular steel consists almost exclusively of iron, while stainless steel also contains nickel and chromium.)

Why did Harry Brearley call his invention stainless steel?

Harry saw the potential for his steel within the cutlery industry. With the help of his friend Ernest Stuart, Cutlery Manager at Mosley’s Portland Works, they had perfected the hardening process for knives. Brearley wanted to call his invention ‘Rustless Steel’, but Stuart, persauded him it should be called ‘Stainless Steel’ . Made up in Britain.

How old was Harry Brearley when he was born?

Brearley was born on 18 February 1871 in Sheffield, England, the son of John Brearley, a steelworker, and his wife, Jane Brearley née Senior.

What did Harry Brearley do for a living?

In 1908 Brearley was appointed lead researcher at Firth Laboratories. One of the major downsides was erosion in weaponry. Brearley was asked to find a way to prolong the life of gun barrels. Harry experimented with several variations of his alloys, adding a small percentage of chromium and small measures of carbon.

When did Harry Brearley join Brown Bayleys steel works?

It was in 1908, when two of Sheffield’s principal steelmaking companies innovatively agreed to jointly finance a common research laboratory ( Brown Firth Laboratories) that Harry Brearley was asked to lead the project. After leaving Brown Firth, Brearley joined Brown Bayley’s Steel Works, also in Sheffield; he became a director of the firm in 1925.