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).
Corrosive effects of Cleveland Discol alcohol-blend fuel on various metals.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 150\1\ scan0082 | |
| Date | 21th November 1935 | |
| S/W (Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}).... from H.{Arthur M. Hanbury - Head Complaints} H11/H21.11.35. CLEVELAND DISCOL FUEL. With reference to your Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/Rm{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}9/KW14.11.35. - and especially to your remark that you know of no damage resulting from the use of alcohol blend fuels, C. asks me to point out that BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} reported to us on Discol in November, 1934. An extract from his report is as follows : "We have found that the alcohol in 'Discol' attacks the material we use for making joints between the various carburetter facings, the joints are practically metal to metal, with a very thin coating of Heldite wiped on with the finger." We further received last month some interesting information from F.D.Reid in Glasgow who had met a user of Discol who had had trouble. This customer belonged to one of the Clyde Shipping Co's and had, therefore, carried out certain comparative tests in the Company's laboratories on various metals immersed for twenty-one days in straight petrol and in Discol. The result of these tests had been that the metal described as tin plate, as used for petrol tanks, but probably some coated steel, was badly corroded. Aluminium was lightly but definitely etched, and brass was slightly coated in places with verdigris. The test pieces immersed in straight petrol appeared to be unaffected in any way. Have you any information or tests which confirm these deleterious effects suggested by both BY and the above experiments, because if there is any possibility of them we ought to be prepared to be careful in making any recommendation when asked for one. H.{Arthur M. Hanbury - Head Complaints} | ||