Re: Sulfur Hexafluoride

To: "'Tesla List'" <tesla-at-poodle.pupman-dot-com>
Subject: Re: Sulfur Hexafluoride
From: Tesla List <tesla-at-stic-dot-net>
Date: Sat, 15 Nov 1997 23:24:19 -0600
Approved: tesla-at-stic-dot-net

From: 	Jim Lux[SMTP:jimlux-at-earthlink-dot-net]
Sent: 	Saturday, November 15, 1997 9:50 AM
To: 	Tesla List
Subject: 	Re: Sulfur Hexafluoride

> Anybody ever used/tried using Sulfur Hexafluoride in the use of a Tesla
> coil?
> 
> Andrew Chin    chinny-at-ozemail-dot-com.au
>
I was looking into SF6 for other reasons, and discovered that its price has
skyrocketed. It used to be quite reasonable (a few $/lb), now it is
something like $50-100/lb. Remember that a pound is about 2 cuft at STP.

Apparently, the ban on "freon" has resulted in a greatly increased demand
for perfluoro hydrocarbons and the fluorinating plants can either run
hydrocarbons like methane and ethane to produce new refrigerants (in great
demand) or sulfur to make SF6 (not in great demand).

Great stuff as an insulator though! And, if you breathe it, it makes your
voice deeper, opposite of helium.

Some of the Freons are comparable in density and available cheaper. They
don't work quite as well as an insulator, and generate corrosive byproducts
when they decompose.

More at: http://home.earthlink-dot-net/~jimlux/insulgas.htm