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Re: "BEVERAGE" BOTTLE CAPS
From: Jim Lux[SMTP:jimlux-at-earthlink-dot-net]
Sent: Friday, November 14, 1997 10:33 AM
To: Tesla List
Subject: Re: "BEVERAGE" BOTTLE CAPS
>
>
> Like most of you, I've been reading all this mail re: glass bottle
> capacitors. I've yet to see anyone try the =plastic= soda-pop
> bottles. Many of these are actually made of the best dielectric
> material for Tesla coil use (polypropylene.)
I think they are made of PET (polyethylene terephalate)(sp?). I don't have
dielectric
properties of PET handy.
Even though the
> thickness of these bottles only measures ~ .030 inches or so,
> I believe they might be worth trying out. This material should
> easily stand the dielectric stresses involved and it also
> has a very low dielectric loss tangent. As for a liquid conductor,
> how about a dilute solution of copper sulfate? It might make a
> better conductor then salt water.
I have used copper sulfate in water resistors and it works much better than
table salt (sodium chloride). Less corrosion, no chlorine gas, and if you
use copper (or brass, much the same) electrodes it doesn't erode the
electrodes. What comes off on one half cycle plates back on in the next.
Buy the technical, non lump form, it is cheapest. (The lump form is used
for killing trees, so it is more expensive, even though less refined).