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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).
Laboratory report on corrosion tests for radiator tubes, comparing different copper and brass compositions.

Identifier  ExFiles\Box 149a\3\  scan0041
Date  11th August 1920
  
HS.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}
BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer}
COPY.
HL12/EB11.8.20.
Laboratory.

RE - RADIATOR TUBES.

Some corrosion tests we did two years ago indicated that electrolytic copper was more resistant to alkaline water in the form of .1% Sodium hydrate than copper containing a considerable amount of arsenic (this in the presence of a piece of iron). We conclude that copper containing about .4% arsenic would be used for the radiator tubes in America if it were found that brass tubes would not stand up to the local water.

Brass, according to some recent corrosion tests that have been running for over a year, is less acted on by a salt solution or sea water than copper containing a small quantity of arsenic. Nearly similar in behaviour in .1% Sodium Hydrate, slightly more acted on in the presence of .1% Sodium Carbonate, slightly less acted on by .1% Sulphuric acid, neither are seriously acted on by Derby tap water nor distilled water, though the iron with which they were immersed had nearly rusted away.

From the above, it does not appear very likely that there should be much trouble with brass tubes, if of a reasonable composition, and this is confirmed by the tests we referred to in our note H13/EB5.8.20, which on continuation indicated that the alkaline solutions did not produce damage in the way of pitting, but only caused a thin skin type of oxidation which is quite normal.

We should be interested to know the composition of the water which is stated to give trouble.
HCH.
  
  


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