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).
The source of supply and manufacturing details for Mouldensite powder.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 50\5\ Scan104 | |
| Date | 19th July 1922 | |
| To R. {Sir Henry Royce} COPY. ROY {Mr H. Royce - Buyer} 1/RJ19.7.22. X.4333 - COMMUTATOR. EFC. {E. Fowler Clarke - Electrical Engineer} has seen me this morning with your note of the 15th inst. and is anxious I should write you direct with details as to source of supply of "Mouldensite" and I would accordingly report as under :- The original Bakelite Powder was the invention of two men working concurrently in the States without each other's knowledge, Doctor Bakeland and a Mr. Aylesworth, the latter being Chief Consulting Chemist to Mr. T.A. Edison. Their respective patents were pooled and a firm called J & P Hill of Ordnance Works, Sheffield, who claimed to acquire the rights of manufacture in this Country recently complete works at Darley Dale, Nr. Matlock, for the production thereof and are trading there as the Mouldensite Co. The Manager of these works, a Mr. E.K. Smith, spent some months in the States acquiring all detailed information of the product, and the plant they have installed at Darley Dale is of American manufacture, while the foreman is from the States also and claims to have been the first man to have made Bakelite Powder there in bulk. Samples of the Powder made at Darley Dale, in which no asbestos is present, have been submitted to the Works here and I understand they have reported on same to you from time to time. The plant which is capable of an output of about 3 tons per week is not in full swing at the moment but I understand soon will be. The raw material they are using is as far as possible British. The phenol is supplied by the Graesser Monsanto Co. of Ruabon, the formaldehyde by Messrs. May & Baker of Battersea and the dyes by British Dyes Ltd. while the wood dust hitherto used as a filler is imported from Norway as they find same is the best they can get for the purpose, it being the least resinous, the proportions they use being in accordance with standard Bakelite practice in U.S.A. In view of your remarks re asbestosfiller, we have asked them to make up some powder with asbestos filling in lieu of wood dust; this they are doing and will submit samples shortly. I inspected their plant last week and they certainly are going into the matter very thoroughly. Contd. | ||