On 11/7/13 7:51 PM, jhowson4@xxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
> Hey everyone,
> We use sf6 filled sparkgaps at work (10 psi), the insides after much use are coated in a white powdery substance.
> Can anyone tell me what this substance is, and how toxic it is.
>
It's typically some fluoride compound, and like all fluorides, it's
moderately toxic (not instant death, but don't go sprinkling it on your
popcorn). A bigger issue might be that it forms a fairly corrosive
mixture if it gets wet.
BTW, SF6 in some cases will form HF (hydrogen from water or the
enclosure), which is truly nasty stuff. In a small spark gap, the volume
is small so unlikely to be an issue. In a big system, it might not be
so fun.
http://www.epa.gov/electricpower-sf6/documents/sf6_byproducts.pdfhttp://www.epa.gov/electricpower-sf6/documents/conf06_averyt.pdf
SF6 is great stuff.. pretty inert as it comes, great insulator, good
quenching, non-toxic. But gosh, it has all that fluorine in it, so
decomposition and reaction products are ugly. Halogens are the root of
much evil, when it comes to haz mat.
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