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 state of dielectric and insulating material manufacturing and classification.
Identifier | ExFiles\Box 24\2\ Scan111 | |
Date | 25th January 1921 guessed | |
- 24 - The manufacture of dielectrics is still in process of development and a number of problems call for solution, for instance, knowledge of the influence of electric forces, the development of scientific and commercial methods of measurement, the investigation of the processes that take place within the substance of the dielectric etc, as also the commercial manufacture of the materials themselves. Beginnings have been made in many directions, in connection with the investigation of electric insulators I refer to the works of Schwaiger (E.U.M. 1914 Heft 23.f. Elektrotechnic 1915, ill Band, Heft 10.11), one of which proposes to discriminate between dielectrics according to brush discharge curves so as to get a better classification than by the method hitherto used. I myself have attempted to get an insight into the texture and distribution of the materials by optical tests and examination of sections of the material and it seems to me that many conclusions may be drawn from the connections between mechanical and electrical properties of the material by a consideration of the specific inductive capacity especially of those materials that are made up of components of very different natures, such as mica products, asbestos products etc. I cannot conclude without pointing out that it is a most unsatisfactory state of affairs that insulating materials are generally called by group names and that the members of such groups have properties differing greatly from one another. This constitutes a great drawback to the use of insulators as it is impossible to expect that the customer would have the time or the necessary apparatus and experience to make tests of the materials in each case in order to determine which dielectric suits his special purpose best. Such a dangerous confusion does not exist in other technical branches, and due consideration leads us to direct our efforts to remove this misleading state of affairs, particularly in view of the dangers and disturbances caused in electrical installations by such lack of clearness. It is essential that each dielectric should have a suitable name with a single meaning and have definite qualities that can be guaranteed. The manufacture of electric insulators has reached a state bordering on chemistry. In the year 1903 Dr.von Hecklinghausen, who was then Director of the Wedtinghouse Company, gave a lecture (Electrical Review, Vol.42, No.18) in the Chemical Club, New York, which was entitled "Insulating Materials", a Field for the Chemists". In this lecture the speaker urged the chemists to direct their attention to the subject of dielectrics and expressed the desire that the aid of the chemistry should be invoked in this branch, much more than hitherto. The chemist seemed unfortunately to lack the instinct for this important field | ||