Re: PCB Question

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

Original poster: "brian by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>" <ka1bbg1-at-mcttelecom-dot-com>

Hi, i am not a chemist by any means but usually it is not mixed with petro
as that would remove one of its telltale good properties=non flammable. if
it burns its not pcb. i take a very small sample and see if it burns..it
also would not be $wize to mix expensive pcb with petro and loose some of
it's best properties. cul brian (i worked with it in the navy)

----- Original Message -----
From: "Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
To: <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
Sent: Tuesday, May 22, 2001 10:13 AM
Subject: PCB Question


> Original poster: "by way of Terry Fritz <twftesla-at-qwest-dot-net>"
<Tesla729-at-cs-dot-com>
>
> Hi all,
>
> I have an old (circa 1945) x-ray transformer that I strongly
> suspect has PCBs for the dielectric fluid. I have ran across
> this same type of oily fluid before in another old transformer.
> It looks like oil, but has a different odor than plain transformer
> oil. However, the dictionary definition of PCB states that it is
> in the from of a "toxic, colorless, odorless, vicous liquid form-
> erly used as an insulator in electrical equipment" I was won-
> dering if it was usually mixed with petroleum in electrical euip-
> ment and thus the definite odor. And yes, I have gotten a little
> bit on myself before when I took them apart to facilitate an in-
> ternal repair :-(( Hopefully, my hair won't start falling out tomor-
> row.
>
> I've read that you can drop a drop of the fluid in question into
> some water and if it floats, then in isn't PCB, as PCBs have
> a higher specific gravity than water. However, I personally do
> NOT suscribe to this as a sure-fire way to detect the presence/
> absnece of PCBs as they may very well be mixed in with petro-
> leum oil, which of course has a lower specific gravity than water.
>
> Maybe some of the resident chemistry majors could comment
> on this?
>
> David Rieben
>
>
>