Barrel Analysis

[Bruce Day]

Originally Posted by Drew Hause

Thank you Dave.


Sample of Parker barrels analyzed by Optical Emission Spectroscopy (OES) and published in the Summer 2014 Parker Pages by Dave Suponski

Titanic Steel (likely pre-WWI)
Carbon .32%
Manganese .70%
Phosphorus .033%
Sulphur .077%
Nickel .078%
Chromium .031%
Molybdenum .003%

Trojan Steel (likely pre-WWI)
Carbon .35%
Manganese .84%
Phosphorus .03%
Sulphur .025%
Nickel .04%
Chromium .02%
Molybdenum .004%

Vulcan Steel
Carbon .27%
Manganese .68%
Phosphorus .062%
Sulphur .052%
Nickel .01%
Chromium .008%
Molybdenum .002%

Parker Steel (1926)
Carbon .09%
Manganese .83%
Phosphorus .094%
Sulphur .074%
Nickel .007%
Chromium .014%
Molybdenum .003%

So while there are the same components to all the Parker fluid steel barrels, they differ in amounts, they likely differ in heat treat values, and I have seen differences in grain structure which results in finishing differences. These steels were sourced from different suppliers.

We have posters who contend that all Parker fluid steels were the same and differ in name only, as a marketing ploy. I'm missing the reasoning.

[Drew Hause]

Certainly the higher concentration of Nickel and Chromium in the Titanic Steel are significant, and add to the manufacturing cost.

The very low carbon in the Parker Steel sample suggests it may be Bessemer process "Decarbonized Steel" or Parker "Plain Steel". A tensile strength test therof would be quite interesting.