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 Price's Patent Candle Company regarding the analysis of thick oils and the presence of free fatty acids in lubricants.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 144\1\ scan0020 | |
| Date | 2nd September 1911 | |
| JVW/HF.{H. W. Frost - Coachwork Inspector} Telegraphic Address, BELMONT, LONDON. CODES:- "A.I." 4TH & 5TH EDITIONS,"A.B.C" AND LIEBER'S. TELEPHONE NO POST OFFICE, 1560, WESTERN. Railway Station (Passenger) Clapham Junction. IN YOUR REPLY PLEASE QUOTE LOD. Price's Patent Candle Company, Limited. Belmont Works, Battersea, London, s.w. 2nd September 1911. Messrs Rolls Royce Limited, Nightingale Road, DERBY. Dear Sirs, We have your favour of 31st ultimo. We note your request for further particulars of the samples which formed the subject of our report of 30th ultimo. We have seen our chemists about this. They are afraid that it will be exceedingly difficult, if not impracticable, to determine, with any trustworthy accuracy, the viscosity at 60°F of such thick oils as the Battersea Gear Oils and Motorine B. They have promised to endeavour to obtain the information which you require. The writer, from his own personal experience in such matters may say that when oils were so thick that they ceased to flow in a continual stream from the viscosimeter but came away only in occasional drops he placed little confidence in the results. We are repeating our test for the free fatty acid in the sample of Engine Oil which you sent us but we may say that in a sample of the same oil recently received from another correspondent we find a similar percentage of free fatty acid and we have found a higher percentage of F.F.A. in some other samples of the same brand of oil. In view of the great experience of the firm who produce these oils we do not like to say or think that they are wrong but we must admit that we do not understand their reasons for so strange a mixture nor, even if the suggested reasons which occur to us are correct, should we care to adopt the principle of using fatty acids as lubricants. The suggestion which occurs to us as the possible reason for the presence of the F.F.A. is the idea, held by some chemists, that the F.F.A. may help to keep down or to remove carbonaceous deposits and another Cylinder lubricant which is recommended for this special purpose contains a large percentage of fatty acid. We are not apprehensive that fatty oils may develop acid in the cylinders of internal combustion engines, we hold the opinion that this is not likely to occur in the absence of oxygen and moisture, but as Cylinder Oil may find its way to many other parts of the engine where it may encounter both air and water we should not yet like to recommend the use of oils with any important percentage of free fatty acid. Yours truly, PRICE'S PATENT CANDLE COMPANY, LIMITED. Wetch Kelsos | ||