Pelletrons, substitutes for SF6 was Re: Van de Graaff generator safety question (fwd)

[Steven Roys <sroys@xxxxxxxx>]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sat, 17 Jan 2004 06:43:44 -0800
From: Jim Lux <jimlux@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: High Voltage list <hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Pelletrons,
     substitutes for SF6 was Re: Van de Graaff generator safety question (fwd)

>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> Date: Fri, 16 Jan 2004 08:26:01 -0800
> From: Ed Phillips <evp@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: High Voltage list <hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: Re: Van de Graaff generator safety question (fwd)
>
> "I forgot to mention --- in a tank with SF6, not in open air.
>
> Dr. Resonance"
>
> Well, that's the way the ball bounces!  Not many of us can come up with
> a tank of SF6!  Fun thinking about the project, but.....................
>
> Ed

There are a lot of other gases that aren't as good as SF6, but are dense and
readily available and might work as dielectrics.. CO2 is easy, but not all
that much better.  Freon in one of the many forms might work quite nicely,
but could be expensive.  I think you'd want something that you could run at
atmospheric pressure.