CLCMENT DUVAL h o l e nationale sup&ieure d e chimie d e Paris, Paris, France (Translated by Ralph E. Oesper)
Prmm (Antoine Jean Sylvestre) Chevenard, one of the foremost French metallurgists, was born on December 31,1888, at Thizy (RhBne). His ancestors on both sides had been associated with the textile industry, and it was expected that he would follow in their footsteps. However, the death of his father in 1892 changed this plan, and in 1910 he graduated a t the head of hi class from the Ecole nationale de Mines at SaintEt ienne (T.oirc). His long nssoeiation with the SociAtE de CommentryFourrhan~baultct Dccazeville beenn in 1911 when he: was attached as engineer to the llboratory of the steel works at Imphy (Nikvre), one of the oldest in France.' In 1912 Chevenard was made departmental head in charge of metallurgical research in this corporation. After World War I he was appointed (1919) professor of metallurgy at the Ecole des Mines at Saint-Etienne and also consulting engineer of the corporation, in charge particularly of tests and research at Imphy. In 1935 he was made scientific director of the firm but with residence in Paris. Finally, since 1950, he has been a director of the SociM de Commentry-Fourchambault et Decazeville (and of several other industrial concerns). His accomplishments during more than 40 years can be classified under four main headings: (1) Metallurgical researches of an industrial nature, carried out in the plants of the corporation, have been directed particularly at the discovery and improvement of special ferrous alloys. The principal results were alloys resistant to high temperatures, used in chemical industries, and especially in the construction of heat engines and steam turbines; and alloys with a high mechanical resistance a t elevated temperatures. The former enabled Georges Claude to carry out (from 1919) the catalytic synthesis of ammonia at high temperatures and under considerable pressure. The latter, more recent, are quite analogous to English alloys, and were used before them in gas turbines and jet propulsion. Whiie extending the researches of Charles Edouard Guillaume, Director of the International Bureau of Weights and measure^,^ Cheveuard, at Imphy, developed "precision metallurgy." This term embraces numerous alloys endowed with exceptional physical, thermal, chemical, and mechanical properties of partic-
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1 In 1722 Rhumur wrote: ". . .une de cee petites forgea qui est A Imphy dane le Nivernois. Gens sur I'exactitude de qui je puk compter."
' J. CHEM.EDUC.,30, 11 (1953).
ular value in metrology, horology, chronometry, telecommunication, and heat measurements. (2) In more than 200 reports and papers, Chevenard has set down the results of various scientific studies of tempering and drawing the temper of steels; the graphitization of castings; the structural hardening of alloys; the allotropic transformations of alloys and the mechanism of their heat treatment. He has lonn . . been intcrcsted in transformutions not accompanied by ehnnge of phuse and especially in the allornalirs 3sso(*iatedwith rhererersihletmnsfor~nutio~~offrrro~nue~~etirmwt~rinls ~
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and the orderdisorder transformation of numerous solid solutions. A whole group of his investigations have dealt with the mechanism and quantitative laws governing humid, dry, and fissuring corrosion of metals and alloys. Another group of studies has been concerned with the hot and cold mechanical properties of alloys, particularly with regard to the laws of flow and internal friction. (3) The name Chevenard has become known in most circles because his researches have been conducted by means of apparatus designed by him, constructed under his supervision, and subsequently widely used in the scientific and industrial laboratories of France and other countries. These instrumental aids now number more than 150. The most widely used are his dilatometers, thermomagnetometers, and other devices designed for physicochemical analysis; the micromachines for mechanical tests of very small samples of metals; and the precision equipment for determining the flow of metals and internal friction. Last, but not least, are photographing thermobalances giving a visual record, which were developed initially for the study of dry corrosion, and which are now extensively used in automatic analyses and kinetic studies3 Many laboratory men are grateful to h i for producing equipment which works. (4) Chevenard's educational activities have included courses in metallurgy at the Ecole des Mines de Saint-Etienne (1919-35), a t the Ecole supbrieure de Fonderie, and a t the &ole des Mines de Paris (1942). However, these were not his only excursions into metallurgical and metallographic instruction. From the time he entered industry he has been concerned with amplifying the education of his immediate collaborators. He instituted, at Imphy in 1932, extension courses which, supplementing the apprenticeship train'DWAL,C., Anal. Cham., 23, 1271 (1951); "Inorganic Thermogravimetrie Analyses," Elsevier Publishing Co., Amsterdam, 1953.
ing, served to produce groups of advanced workers. This "scientific impregnation" of the plant contributed markedly to the continual evolution of operations tending to yield special products of high quality. Chevenard was elected to the AcadBmie des Sciences in 1946 in the section "Applications of Science and Industry." He was made oficier of the Legion of Honor at the instance of the Ministry of National Defense; he is a chevalier of the Order of Leopold, and holds the Trasenster Medal. He has been president of various organizations: Soci6t6 franpaise de Physique; SociBt6 frangaise de Metallurgie; SociBt6 de 1'Industrie min-
Brale; Association technique de Fonderie; SociBt6 des Ingenieurs civils de France. At present he is president of the SociBtBfranqaise de Min6ralogie. He is on the scientific councils of many large schools and is a member of the scientificboard of Weights and Measures. He belongs to the committee on inorganic chemistry of the Centre national de la Recherche scientilique, and in this connection he acts as sponsor for young researchers and when need be directs their work. Extremely modest, very friendly, always ready to oblige his fellow-men, he hides a heart of gold beneath an unassuming appearance.
