Re: Cap W/ Electret

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

Original poster: "by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-uswest-dot-net>" <Michael.Day-at-USPTO.GOV>

Greeting all,

I was wondering if any one has had any experience with 
home made capacitors using an electrets for the dielectric?  
A typical electret is a dielectric, usually a polar polymer such as 
polycarbonate or acrylic resins, that has been heated to its 
softening temperature, and an electric field impressed across 
the material.  On cooling, the electric field is frozen in the dielectric.  
Such a capacitor is somewhat unusual in that it tends to charge 
itself.  (Watch out, they can bite.)

I've been considering making one for my coil, and was wondering 
if anyone had any experience with them, or had any comments 
regarding utility, for example, failure rate of polycarbonate or acrylic 
resins.

-MHD