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).
Tests on bakelite tracking, including the effects of powdered filling and the potential solution of varnishing surfaces.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 39\3\ Scan291 | |
| Date | 14th March 1928 | |
| V35/3 To E.{Mr Elliott - Chief Engineer} from EFC. c. EY. R.{Sir Henry Royce} EFC3/T14.3.28. BAKELITE TRACKING. Referring to your note E2/M7.3.28/ enquiring as to whether the tracking of bakelite is influenced by the presence of the powdered filling, please find attached copy of my assistant's report WC.85 in this connection. As far as we know at present, pure bakelite would track just as readily. Mr. Brock has attempted to mould pure bakelite powder without filling, specially obtained from the makers, but finds the moulding process unsatisfactory. We are obtaining such a moulded piece from them with the idea of making a tracking test. We are also making further tests on the effect of varnishing the surface, as a preliminary test has shown a suitable varnish to be a considerable advantage in the prevention of tracking. It would appear that varnishing the internal surface of the distributor head might be a good proposition. We purpose making experiments with three distributor heads varnished with three different kinds of varnish on three experimental cars. We are, as suggested, writing to the technical expert of Bakelite Ltd. to ascertain whether it is possible to obtain non-tracking mouldings. EFC. | ||