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 to the Air Ministry regarding the corrosive effects of leaded petrol on Elektron magnesium alloy fuel tanks.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 27a\4\ Scan165 | |
| Date | 20th July 1933 | |
| COPY 20th July, 1933. Major G.{Mr Griffiths - Chief Accountant / Mr Gnapp} P. Bulman, O.B.E., D.T.D. Air Ministry, Adastral House, Kingsway, W.C.2; Dear Major Bulman, With reference to our telephone conversation, I give you herewith some details concerning the effect of "leaded" petrols on magnesium alloys of the "Elektron" class. Briefly, our experience is as follows; corrosion attack will occur in fuel tanks constructed of elektron if there is water present in the petrol. This attack is accelerated when Ethyl fluid is present in the petrol, but we would not say that it is greatly accelerated. No attack appears to occur with either "straight" or "leaded" petrols when no water is present. From the experience we have had, we do not think, and in fact we are almost certain, that no trouble will be experienced with "leaded" petrols in contact with any engine fittings such as supercharger casings and induction pipes, etc. This assertion, in our opinion, has a sound basis since none of the engine parts concerned will be in continuous contact with water and from our experience with the Rolls-Royce "R" engines, no corrosion attack could be attributed to the fuel which was certainly not of the best from this point of view, as it contained alcohol which in turn usually has some water content. Due to the fact that it is almost impossible to avoid the inclusion of water in fuel tanks we do not advise the use of magnesium alloys of the elektron type for this purpose. We understand that the I. G.{Mr Griffiths - Chief Accountant / Mr Gnapp} Co. in Germany, who as you know hold the patent rights of this material have improved it and we are informed that these people are carrying out further tests with "leaded" gasoline in this connection. The K.L.M. Co. on their Amsterdam-Batavia line have experienced quite a lot of trouble with their elektron tanks due to the presence of water and with ordinary "unleaded" petrol. | ||