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).
Letter from an oil supplier discussing the chemical interaction of glycerine in an engine's water system.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 151\3\ scan0169 | |
| Date | 23th March 1932 | |
| X1435 All communications to be addressed to the Company. OIL MERCHANTS, REFINERS & DISTILLERS. Contractors to H.M. Government for all Oils. TELEGRAPHIC INLAND: BELMONT, BATT, LONDON. ADDRESSES: FOREIGN & COLONIAL: BELMONT, LONDON CODES: WESTERN UNION - 5 LETTER EDITION A.B.C. (5TH & 6TH EDITIONS) BENTLEY'S, MARCONI INTERNATIONAL TELEPHONE: BATTERSEA 2000 (PRIVATE BRANCH EXCHANGE) Branches at LIVERPOOL, GLASGOW, NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE, CARDIFF, ABERDEEN, MANCHESTER. ALL QUOTATIONS SUBJECT TO ALTERATION WITHOUT NOTICE AND WITHOUT ENGAGEMENT. By Appointment Motor Oil Manufacturers To H.R.H. The Prince of Wales Price's Patent Candle Company, Limited. Battersea, London. s.w.11 JWGB/VHG. IN YOUR REPLY PLEASE QUOTE L.M/B 23rd March, 1932. LIP Messrs. Rolls-Royce Limited DERBY. YOUR REF: HS{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}/lid.{A. J. Lidsey}7/MA. Dear Sirs, With reference to your favour of the 19th instant, and our acknowledgment of the 21st instant, we have been discussing this matter amongst ourselves, but without being able to understand in what way the glycerine acts upon the grease. The glycerine we supply is neutral in reaction, it is free from salts and contains nothing but a little pure water. It seems to us that the deposit referred to is merely a combination of hard salts in the tap water plus a little fatty oil and grease arising from the lubricant used in the grease cup on the hot water circulating pump. Of course, there is the fact that parallel tests with Ethylene Glycol have not resulted in the formation of hard deposit. It might appear, therefore, that glycerine has some effect in promoting chemical action between the salts in the water and the grease from the water pump lubricant. It would help us if you could send us a specimen of the hard deposit which you find in the engine water system. Maybe you yourselves have examined this deposit in which case we would be interested to learn what it is composed of. Naturally we propose discussing this matter with (Contd.) | ||