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).
Practicalities of chromium plating on radiators, comparing a double plating process on brass sheet to direct plating on nickel silver.
Identifier | ExFiles\Box 27a\3\ Scan100 | |
Date | 17th December 1929 | |
Worr. c. Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} c. E.S. X46516. BY9/G.17.12.29. CHROMIUM PLATING. ----------------- Referring to R1/W7.12.29. I do not consider that it is a practicable job to plate the radiator top after soldering the matrix to same, the reason for this being that the electrolyte is sprayed up from the surface quite a fair distance by the bursting of the hydrogen bubbles. This is particularly true of chromium plating where an excessive hydrogen discharge is essential to the plating scheme. I notice that Mr. Royce has reverted to his suggestion that brass sheet should be used for the radiator. Personally I do not think this is desirable, as there is a big risk of the double plating operation viz. first plating with nickel, and then with chromium, resulting in pulling away the first deposit from the brass. This risk of stripping seems to me to compare unfavourably with plating directly on the nickel silver. We have instructed four radiators (two 20 HP. and two 40/50 HP.) in sheet brass, which we propose should be fitted to chassis in the Experimental Department, and until some reasonable experience has been obtained with these I should consider it undesirable to adopt brass sheets for the radiator itself. With regard to Mr. Royce's scheme, this is not as good a method from the point of view of keeping the heat away from the chromium plating, as our present scheme. We are, however, instructing a 40/50 HP. radiator to R's design in which, in accordance with his proposal, we will incorporate the thermostatic control. BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} BM | ||