English Reader for Technical Students

МИНИСТЕРСТВО ОБРАЗОВАНИЯ И НАУКИ РФ 

ФЕДЕРАЛЬНОЕ ГОСУДАРСТВЕННОЕ АВТОНОМНОЕ ОБРАЗОВАТЕЛЬНОЕ УЧРЕЖДЕНИЕ  
ВЫСШЕГО ПРОФЕССИОНАЛЬНОГО ОБРАЗОВАНИЯ  
«НАЦИОНАЛЬНЫЙ ИССЛЕДОВАТЕЛЬСКИЙ ТЕХНОЛОГИЧЕСКИЙ УНИВЕРСИТЕТ «МИСиС» 

 

 
 
 

 

 

 

 
 

 

№ 3 

Кафедра русского и иностранного языков и литературы

 
 
 

English Reader for Technical 
Students 

Учебное пособие 

 

Рекомендовано редакционно-издательским  
советом института 

Москва  2012 

УДК 811.111 
 
 

Р е ц е н з е н т  
канд. филол. наук, проф. К.С. Махмурян 

Авторы: Е.Н. Галкина, С.Е. Зайцева, Е.В. Смирнова, Л.А. Тинигина 
 
 
English Reader for Technical Students: Учеб. пособие / English 
Reader for Technical Students. – М.: МИСиС, 2012. – 65 с. 

Пособие представляет собой новую разработку, в которой содержится 
материал по чтению для студентов технических специальностей. Пособие состоит из четырех глав, посвященных следующим темам: Ferrous metals, Nonferrous and precious metals, Physical and chemical departament. 
Пособие предназначено для студентов, обучающихся на следующих факультетах: физико-химическом, черных металлов и факультете цветных и 
драгоценных металлов. 

© НИТУ «МИСиС», 2012 

Contents 

Chapter 1. Ferrous metals...........................................................................4 
1.1. History of the problem.....................................................................4 
1.2. Compact electric-arc melting furnace..............................................6 
1.3. Ineel’s super-hard steel one of this year’s top  
100 technological achievements.......................................................9 
1.4. Why steel isn’t so stainless............................................................13 
1.5. Blast furnace..................................................................................15 
Chapter 2. Non-ferrous and precious metals ............................................18 
2.1. Better metals are vital to technological progress...........................18 
2.2. Copper ...........................................................................................21 
2.3. Zinc................................................................................................24 
2.4. Lead ...............................................................................................26 
2.5. Brass. .............................................................................................30 
2.6. The world of metals and its paradoxes ..........................................32 
Chapter III. Physical and chemical departament ......................................38 
3.1. Stone age, iron age, polymer age...................................................38 
3.2. Libraries into space........................................................................41 
3.3. A lithium-powered heart................................................................44 
3.4. Experiments in time reversal .........................................................47 
Chapter 4. Metallurgy systems and technologies .....................................50 
4.1. Furnace design and operation........................................................50 
4.2. Troubleshooting generated atmospheres .......................................53 
4.3. Secondary metallurgy for steelmaking ..........................................57 
4.4. Vacuum induction melting ............................................................60 
4.5. Vacuum arc remelting (VAR) .......................................................62 

CHAPTER 1. FERROUS METALS 

1.1. History of the problem 

Long time ago in blast-furnace processing there appeared a tendency for 
reduction of coke consumption needed for production of one ton of iron. It 
was stipulated by the deficit of coke coals on the one hand and by environmentally unsafe production of coke itself on the other hand. The reduction of 
coke consumption can be achieved through its partial substitution by hydrocarbon blowing additions (mazut, natural gas etc.)and by pulverized coal fuel. 
Application of these additions has provided in the last 20 – 25 years 20 
to 25 % reduction of coke consumption which resulted in achieving of the 
level of 400 – 450 kg/t. of iron. In accordance with scientific research 
studies the technology based on injection of hot reducing gases (HRG) 
into blast-furnace is an alternative and more efficient way of coke consumption reduction. 

.
 

To receive HRG one can use the blast furnace-gas in the process of its 
recirculation. The idea of using blast furnace gas for reduction of coke 
consumption appeared at the end of the last century. However, its practical implementation was postponed for quite a continuous period of time 
due to the fact that it was vitally necessary to purify the blast furnace gas 
from oxidizers (carbon dioxide and water). The purification process is 
rather energy consuming so it considerably influences the efficiency 
(profitability) of HRG process application. 

Old methods of technological gases purification from carbon dioxide 
did not allow to provide the technical and economic parameters necessary 
to achieve profitability of blast furnace process. The fact can be well 
proved by the analytical research concerning the process under consideration performed by Dr.Ramm in early seventies as well as by a production 
experiment run at Novotulsky metallurgical plant in late eighties. 

Exercise 1. Match the English words and word-combinations given 
below with their Russian equivalents: 
1) согласованность 
a) hot reducing gas 
2) показываться, появляться 
b) blast furnace 
3) значительно 
c) accordance 
4) потребление, расход 
d) consumption 
5) зависимость 
e) to appear 
6) эффективный 
f) considerably 
7) окружающая среда 
g) dependence 
8) выполнение 
h) efficient 
9) влияние, воздействие 
i) environment 
10) вливание 
j) injection 
11) исполнять, выполнять 
k) influence 
12) оттягивать, откладывать 
l) to provide 
13) обеспечивать 
m) reduction 
14) циркуляция 
n) to stipulate 
15) снижение 
o) implementation 
16) доменная печь 
p) to perform 
17) горячий сжимающийся газ 
q) substitution 
18) обусловливать 
r) recirculation 
19) замена 
s) to postpone. 

Exercise 2. Find the antonyms and translate them: 
appear, reduce, increase, necessary, scientific, purify, safe, dependence, decrease, extend, raise, disappear, unnecessary, pollute, soil, dangerous, at risk, 
independence, unscientific. 

Exercise 3. Agree o disagree with the statements given below: 
• Long time ago in blast-furnace processing there appeared a tendency for 
increase of coke consumption needed for production of one ton of iron. 
• Application of these additions has provided in the last 20 – 25 years 20 to 
50 % reduction of coke consumption which resulted in achieving of the level 
of 400 – 450 kg/t. of iron.  
• To receive HRG one can use the blast furnace-gas in the process of its 
recirculation. 
• The purification process is rather energy consuming so it considerably 
influences the efficiency (profitability) of HRG process. 

Exercise 4. Answer the following questions: 
• How can we receive hot reduction gas? 
• When did the idea of reduction of coke consumption appear? 
• What was the needed tendency for production of iron appeared? 
• How was the coke consumption changed? 

Exercise 5. Render the text. 

1.2. Compact electric-arc melting furnace 

Purpose 
Melting of a wide range of experimental alloys with special properties, 
including alloys of chemically active, refractory and precious metals. 
Production of commodity batches of alloys for machine-building industry, instrument making, aviation and medicine. 

Description 
The furnace consists of a vacuum-gas unit, 
power supply unit for the arc, arc-control block 
and console, and a melting chamber with a cathode unit input device. Melting is performed in a 
copper water-cooled mould by an arc discharge 
with a non-melting electrode in a controlled atmosphere of neutral and reducing gases. 
Use of an automated vacuum-gas unit with a 
control and measurement system allows to preliminary pump air out of the melting chamber, 
fill it with working medium up to the demanded 
pressure and ensure its stabilization during the 
melting process. 

A compact power supply unit with the arc control unit ensures ignition 
of discharge and smooth regulation of the arc current. The melting furnace 
is supplied with replaceable mould of different forms. 

Advantages 
Compared with its analog – LK 6 electric-arc furnace of Leybold 
(Germany) this product has the following advantages: 
High-temperature (up to 3400 °С) regulated melting can be performed 
in a wide range of stabilized pressure of plasma-forming medium 
(1,3 ⋅ 103 1,5 ⋅ 105 Pа), which allows to conduct targeted refinement and 
decontamination of metals, to suppress the process of their evaporation, to 
optimize the conditions of melting of special alloys, to implement nitration and surface handling of ingots. 
At low pressures (1,3 ⋅ 104 Pа) a special mode of melting is possible 
with energy release regulated and localized in space (102 – 104 W/см3). 
This allows to change smoothly the magnitude and density of power 
brought to metal, to increase considerably (2,5 times) the melting ability 
of the arc, to change within broad limits the area of contact of plasma with 
metal, to reduce considerably the expenditure of rare gas during melting 
of little-evaporating metals, to improve durability of electrodes at highcharge currents, to use metals in powdery form as raw materials. 
Smaller mass-size parameters and price (2,5 – 3 times). 

Development stage 
An industrial prototype of the furnace has been created. Experimental 
meltings of different metals and alloys have been done. The designer 
documentation on its units has been prepared.  

Novelty 
A new kind of product with considerably improved technical and economic characteristics and broader technological possibilities. 

Exercise 1. Find the English equivalents for the following words and 
word-combinations given below: 
компактная электродуговая плавящая печь, процесс плавления, производство товарных партий сплавов, гарантирует начало выброса и 
плавного регулирования потока дуги, плавящая печь, вакуумногазовая единица, значительно улучшить, сырье, предварительно выкачивать воздух из камеры плавления, широкий диапазон экспериментальных сплавов. 

Exercise 2. Match the English words and word-combinations given 
below with their following Russian equivalents: 
1) to include 
1) 
энергопитание 
2) precious 
2) 
пульт, кронштейн 
3) refractory 
3) 
энергопитание 
4) power supply 
4) 
включать 
5) console 
5) 
драгоценный 
6) discharge 
6) 
обработка 
7) refinement 
7) 
величина 
8) suppress 
8) 
слиток 
9) ingot 
9) 
выхлоп, выброс 
10) magnitude 
10) давление 
11) smoothly 
11) длительность 
12) pressure 
12) плавно, однородно  
13) durability 
13) огнеупорный 
14) little – evaporating 
14) цель 
15) target  
15) расход 
16) expenditure 
16) поток 
17) rare 
17) мало испаряющийся 
18) current 
18) редкий. 

Exercise 3. Agree or disagree with the statements given below: 
1. The furnace consists of a vacuum-gas unit, power supply unit for the 
arc, arc-control block and console, and a melting chamber with a cathode 
unit input device. 
2. A compact power supply unit with the arc control unit doesn’t  ensure 
ignition of discharge and smooth regulation of the arc current. The melting furnace is supplied with replaceable mould of different forms. 
3. High-temperature (up to 3400 °С) regulated melting can’t be performed 
in a wide range of stabilized pressure of plasma-forming medium 
(1,3 ⋅ 103 1,5 ⋅ 105 Pа). 
4. At low pressures (1,3 ⋅ 104 Pа) a special mode of melting is possible 
with energy release regulated and localized in space (102 – 104 W/см3). 

Exercise 4. Answer the following questions: 
1. How many stages of Compact electric – arc melting furnace do you know? 
2. What advantages of this furnace have you recognized? 
3. Can you describe the arc melting furnace? 
4. Has an industrial prototype of the furnace been created? 
5. Can you tell me your opinion about this furnace? 

Exercise 5. Make a summary of the text. 

1.3. Ineel’s super-hard steel one of this year’s top 
100 technological achievements 

Super Hard Steel forms a tough, low cost, wear and corrosion resistant 
coating that outperforms traditional high-performance coatings. Developed at the Department of Energy's Idaho National Engineering and 
Environmental Laboratory, this coating offers a wealth of possibilities 
for new industrial applications. 
One of the hardest metallic materials known, Super Hard Steel has 
been recognized as one of the 100 most significant technological 
achievements for the year 2001 by R&D Magazine. Super Hard Steel can 
be sprayed onto a wide variety of metal surfaces using conventionally 
available thermal spray technologies, and surpasses the existing commercial coatings in wear, corrosion and impact resistance. 
Researchers create the Super Hard Steel coating by transforming steel 
alloy into a non-crystalline metallic glass. "We essentially coach mother 
nature to frustrate the atoms in the alloy, and capture a snapshot in time 
when the atoms have a liquid structure in order to form a very hard and 
strong solid," said INEEL materials scientist Daniel Branagan. Because 
metallic glass has an extremely low density of defects such as tiny cracks 
or holes, Super Hard Steel responds differently to external stresses such as 
physical loads than metals with a high density of defects. This property of 
metallic glass makes the material both hard and tough-perfect for use as a 
impact resistant coating. 
Alternatively, for specific applications researchers can heat the coating 
to create a stable structure made up of crystal grains from 2 to 
75 nanometers in size, only slightly larger than a single atom. "This approach is a much more robust route to forming nanoscale crystalline structure when compared with other approaches that try to maintain the nanoscale features during the production process," said Branagan. 
Once sprayed on, the Super Hard Steel coating cannot be removedeven with a hammer and chisel. Because the material is sprayed on under 
high-pressure conditions, the material remains in a compressed state even 
after it cools, which makes it stronger. The coating was tested using high 
velocity (170 mph), high intensity grit blasting for four times longer than 
the normal testing standard, and showed no evidence of cracking or wear. 
Super Hard Steel has hardness properties among the highest ever reported for any metallic structure or alloy-up to 16 giga Pascals. In com

parison to existing high performance coatings, Super Hard Steel is significantly harder than electrolytic hard chrome and approaches the best tungsten carbide. In an independent, standard abrasion test, Super Hard Steel 
actually wore down the hardest commercially available pin material, silicon nitride, which is used to develop wear scars on hard coatings. The 
extreme hardness of Super Hard Steel in conjunction with its metallic 
bonds gives the material abrasion wear resistance properties that Branagan 
believes will significantly improve the lifetime of coated machine parts. 
The unlubricated material also exhibits a low coefficient of friction in the 
range of lubricated steel, another property that can be exploited for a 
range of applications. 
The properties of Branagan's metal coatings are such an improvement 
over current products and technologies, that he has had a hard time convincing people to believe what they're seeing. "Industry just doesn't believe our data at first," he said. In one instance, a skeptical company 
president handed a coated sample to a technician for testing while 
Branagan was giving his presentation. "I was a little nervous," Branagan 
said, "but I just kept going with my presentation." Not long later the 
technician returned and reported that the sample had survived the testing 
completely unscathed. "The room went silent," he said. "Then I really 
had their attention." 
Developed during several years of research funded by both INEEL discretionary research funding and the Defense Advanced Research Projects 
Agency, this technology has the potential for tremendous impact to the 
manufacturing industry. "I'm proud of the award-winning work done at 
the department's Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory. This accomplishment demonstrates the value of government-funded 
research to the Nation," Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham said. 
Branagan sees the possibilities for coatings like his to be nearly endless 
because all areas of industry experience wear and corrosion problems. The 
product is also extremely affordable because it is only a steel which has 
exotic structures. It costs only a fraction of what hard ceramics such as 
tungsten carbide. He feels that the biggest cost savings will occur over the 
lifetime of a coated part since the machine will simply last much longer, 
and require significantly less maintenance. From the beginning, Branagan's goal was to develop a coating that would have real-world applicability. "We purposely used off-the shelf technology to apply the coatings 

with the idea of increasing the ease of getting this technology out to industry," Branagan said. 
Over the next year, Branagan will work with a range of industrial partners to conduct proof-of-concept tests, putting his coating through extensive erosion, corrosion, and fatigue testing. More than 15 companies are 
reviewing Super Hard Steel for licensing or testing, in such applications as 
varied as self-sharpening knives and mining rock crushers. Additionally, 
the technology will soon be applied to key military devices for extensive 
testing in tough applications with challenging environments. 
Super Hard Steel represents one of the first fruits from of the emerging 
field of nanoscale science. "What really spawned the development of this 
technology was the development of a new material in combination with 
sustained advances in the science of thermal spray," Branagan said. "It's 
interesting to see how development in one area of research spawns advancements in another." 
The research team includes INEEL materials scientists Daniel Branagan, Elizabeth Taylor and Joseph Burch, and thermal spray researchers 
James Fincke, David Swank and DeLon C. Haggard. Also included is 
former INEEL laboratory director Bart Krawetz, now retired from Lockheed Martin Missile and Space Systems. 
R&D Magazine has sponsored the international R&D 100 Awards 
program since 1963. This is the 27 th such award for the INEEL and the 
second for Branagan and Fincke, who won awards in 1999 and 1997 respectively. The research team from the Department of Energy's Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory will receive its award at 
the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago in October 2001. 

Exercise 1. Find the English equivalents for the following words and 
word-combinations given below: 
износоустойчивость, завершение, действительно, разнообразные 
крепежные материалы, экстремальные условия, плотность дефектов, 
подтверждение потрескивания и истирания, характеристики, некристаллическое металлическое стекло, отдел национального энергетического проектирования, самозатачивающиеся ножи, нитрид кремния, горнорудная промышленная дробилка, высокоинтенсивный 
дробный поток воздуха (тяга), небольшие трещины и дыры, вольфрамовый карбид.