Nickel Steel

Nickel-Steel. It was discovered in 1888 that the addition of a small percentage of nickel to steel greatly increases its hardness and tenacity; and this fact was at once taken advantage of for the making of ship's armour. The plates offer, roughly speaking, about 20 per cent. greater protection than the best simple steel plates of the same thickness, and they have since been very generally adopted as the materials for the thinner armour, and for the protective decks of men-ofwar. They are further hardened and toughened by various processes, among which those of Harvey and Tressider are the most successful.