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).
Clarifying the composition of various insulating materials like Bakelite and Paxolin, and suggesting standardization.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 39\3\ Scan165 | |
| Date | 11th November 1921 | |
| R.{Sir Henry Royce} from Wd.{Mr Wood/Mr Whitehead} c.to BJ c.to EFC. c.to By.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} c.to Wor.{Arthur Wormald - General Works Manager} c.to Roy.{Sir Henry Royce} c.to Ms. X.3513 Wd{Mr Wood/Mr Whitehead}10/NJ11.11.21. X.3513. Insulating Material. I gather from R11/G9.11.21 (Re Bakelite Dilecto Sheets and Tubes) that the doubts which exist as to the composition of various insulating materials known as Bakelite Micarta, Bakelite Dilecto and Continental Bakelite, should be removed and I hope the following explanation will assist. As a result of fairly wide enquiries which I have made, I understand that:- (1) BAKELITE MICARTA is never made with any but a paper base, and this may be inferred from the term "carta". (2) BAKELITE DILECTO is never made with any but a paper base. (3) CONTINENTAL BAKELITE is never made with any but a fabric base, either cotton duck or cotton calico. (4) ADMIRALTY QUALITY PAXOLIN is never made with any but a paper base. The material which North & Sons will employ to bush the Contact Breaker Lever of the Watford magneto is Continental Bakelite rod. (2) and (3) are manufactured by the Continental Fibre Co Newark, Delaware, U.S.A. and can be purchased in this country from Robert W.Blackwell & Co.Ltd. If it is considered that these two materials meet our requirements, I suggest that same might be standardised, to the exclusion of (1) and (4). A few weeks ago I suggested that as the price of Bakelite Dilecto (paper base) is very little less than the price of Continental Bakelite (fabric base), we might consider the advisability of stocking nothing but Continental Bakelite in sheets tubes and rods. I recognise there may be some objection to this course, but I put the suggestion forward for what it is worth .Wd.{Mr Wood/Mr Whitehead} | ||