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).
New low-expansion piston alloy, '132LoEx', from the Aluminium Co. of America.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 148\3\ scan0069 | |
| Date | 24th April 1930 | |
| Y1506 Oy2/DM.{D. Munro}24.4.30. Pistons. Mr. Burton writes me as follows:- "Whilst I was at the Fairfield plant of the Aluminium Co. of America, Mr. Stay mentioned to me a new alum. alloy that they are developing for pistons which has a coefficient of expansion of .0000105 as compared with .0000124 as we are now using. They claim that this alloy used in conjunction with a high Nickel (18%) Cast Iron Cylinder - in which the expansion is very much increased - enables a piston to be used without slots or any other means of overcoming the usual troubles due to the difference in expansion of the metals. This alloy is known as 132LoEx. It contains 13% Silicon and smaller quantities of Nickel, Magnesium, Iron and Copper. It can only be cut with Carboloy tools." High nickel cylinders and "Lo-Ex" pistons are just announced in the Reo, which as a car of conservative design, appears to suggest that the combination is a practical success. I thought you would be interested. Oy. | ||