From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).
Request for testing on two failed magnesium pistons to compare them with aluminium pistons.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 142\4\ scan0010 | |
| Date | 28th May 1927 | |
| To Hl. from Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rn.{Mr Robinson} X4112 Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rml/LG28.5.27. X4112 X4099 Herewith two pistons of magnesium. One consists of 4% copper, the other is almost pure magnesium. These pistons have failed on a car, where aluminium pistons stood up under identical conditions. We therefore consider that probably the brinell figure of the magnesium falls very considerably between 250°C, as also its tensile strength etc. We should be much obliged if you could conduct a series of tests at the higher temperatures to determine whether these alloys are inferior to our present aluminium pistons. Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer} | ||