Re: Maxwell cap oil is....

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "Jim Lux by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>" <jimlux-at-earthlink-dot-net>

Any insulating liquid will work.. Here are the desired characteristics:

1) Clean - small particles greatly reduce the breakdown voltage
2) Dry - really the same as clean, because water forms small (microscopic)
droplets in things with which water is not miscible.  Interesting question:
how good an insulator is 95% ethanol, 5% water (assuming suitable
cleanliness...)
3) doesn't spoil (you don't want the liquid changing over time..)
4) non flammable (so when it leaks, it doesn't create a fire hazard)
5) non-toxic
6) cheap

dry mineral oils are probably the best all around solution - they don't
spoil (especially when they have BHT or tocopherol added as an
antioxidant). Except for flammability, they work quite well, and folks are
willing to take the controllable hazard in exchange for the cheap aspect.

Askarels (PCB), except for the toxicity of trace contaminants, are almost
the ideal insulator. Cheap, non-flammable, good breakdown characteristics,
even with some water, etc.

Silicone oil is totally inert and does not spoil, has good breakdown
characteristics, but isn't very cheap.

etc.etc.etc.



Tesla list wrote:
> 
> Original poster: "by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>"
<A123X-at-aol-dot-com>
> 
> Are there any oils that aren't usable? How about vegetable oil? Is there any
> reason why it couldn't be used?
> 
> In a message dated 4/16/01 9:39:40 PM Eastern Daylight Time, tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
> writes:
> 
> >
> > while repairing the rotor for the SRSG ( which has cap oil all over it ) I
> > kept noticing a very
> > familiar smell... It finally donned on me what that smell was...  Castor
> > Oil ... the same smell that
> > was all over the wings of my radio controlled airplanes...