Don't Use TEFLON in Spark Gaps!

• To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
• Subject: Don't Use TEFLON in Spark Gaps!
• From: Kevin Ottalini <ottalini-at-mindspring-dot-com> (by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>)
• Date: Fri, 24 Dec 1999 14:24:33 -0700
• Approved: twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net
• Delivered-To: fixup-tesla-at-pupman-dot-com-at-fixme

All:
	This post concerns the danger of using TEFLON as a rotary spark
blocking disk in a Spark Gap (fixed gap + rotary disk with holes, or too
close to the gap points in any sort of arc).

If Teflon is heated to a excessive high temperature, IE: to the point
of vaporization (certain in a spark gap) then the gases produced
contain high levels of fluorine gas which is highly toxic.

>From the Dupont Website:
"Polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE) is the chemical substance on which the
TEFLONŽ family of products is based. PTFE fibers and resins developed
by DuPont have unusually high thermo-chemical resistance and display
exceptionally low coefficients of friction. The molecular structure
of PTFE consists of long chains of carbon atoms fully saturated by
fluorine atoms. The carbon-fluorine bonds are extremely strong,
and the carbon bonds are well-shielded by the fluorine atoms."

http://www.dupont-dot-com/teflon/coatings/typical_props.html

*---------------------------*
* Kevin Ottalini            *
* WhoSys / Who Systems      *
* High Voltage with Style!  *
* ottalini-at-mindspring-dot-com   *
* Often in Another Reality  *
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