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Re: Cap Material?
Tesla List wrote:
>
> Original Poster: RWB355-at-aol-dot-com
>
> Hi all,
>
> I have been following the capacitor posts with great interest. I am as
always
> on the lookout for new ideas. The other day (it was my momīs birthday) I
> unwrapped some flowers out of their plastic wrap. I was wondering if anyone
> knows what this plastic warp is made of. It is completely clear, hard to the
> touch (as opposed to PE which feels soft and waxy), if you crease it
sharply a
> white line appears along the crease. It surface is pretty hard and not so
> easily scratched. If you pull it, it hardly streches (and is very hard to
do,
> unlike PE). It also "crackles" when crumpled (also unlike PE). The
material is
> very hard to ignite. It shrivels up and melts into a pool before you can get
> it to ignite (which takes very long....unlike PE, too). Once it burns, it
> burns with a pale blue flame, with hardly any smoke or carbon particles. The
> plastic itself has no smell at all. When it burns there is a distinct
smell of
> burning plastic (I canīt describe it better, but it doesnīt smell like
> paraffin---> like burning PE). The material is not attacked by any kind of
> solvent or glue and nothing sticks to it (Which leads me to believe it is
not
> PVC based). The material is approx. 3 mils thick.
> I havenīt gotten around to hv destruction testing yet.
>
> Anyone got any ideas what this is?
>
> Coiler greets from germany,
> Reinhard
Polystyrene, perhaps? Except that PS is attacked by acetone quite
nicely. The other (more likely) guess is polyester (e.g. mylar). Not
much sticks, it melts and burns, and it is mostly solvent resistant.
--
Jim Lux Jet Propulsion Laboratory
ofc: 818/354-2075 114-B16 Mail Stop 161-213
lab: 818/354-2954 161-110 4800 Oak Grove Drive
fax: 818/393-6875 Pasadena CA 91109