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Re: RF conductor materials (fwd)
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 30 Apr 1998 17:52:44 -0600
From: terryf-at-verinet-dot-com
To: Tesla List <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
Subject: Re: RF conductor materials (fwd)
Hi Mike,
At 08:31 AM 4/30/98 -0600, you wrote:
>
>
>---------- Forwarded message ----------
>Date: Thu, 30 Apr 1998 05:51:05 EDT
>From: Hollmike <Hollmike-at-aol-dot-com>
>To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
>Subject: Re: RF conductor materials (fwd)
>
>Terry,
........................................
> Except under extreme heat, I doubt that aluminum can do what you say. In
>all the years that I have studied chemistry, I have never heard of such an
>oxidation problem. Once aluminum forms a thin (like one molecule thick) oxide
>coating, it is protected from further oxidation.
........................
Hi Mike,
I mig weld aluminum once in a while. In that process it is
necessary to grind through the aluminum oxide layer down to the pure
aluminum. I use 100 grit paper and a belt sander. The top oxide layer is
hard and gray. When you finally reach the pure aluminum it is soft and
bright. Welding needs to be done within 30 minutes or you get to grind it
again!! I can assure you that aluminum forms a thick and hard oxide layer
very quickly. For old (like a few years) aluminum stored in my garage we
are talking mils not molecules. Take my word for it. Aluminum sucks as a
conductor. I should take a piece with me to work and measure the oxide
thickness since I have the ability to do this with ease.
On a side note. I believe that the aluminum used in household foil is an
alloy that resists corrosion much better than the pure stuff. Perhaps this
is all rather esoteric in our Tesla systems since we "use what we got". :-))
Terry