HV Capacitors - PTFE (fwd)

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---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 23 Sep 2004 08:47:28 -0500
From: Carl Litton <Carl_Litton@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: High Voltage list <hvlist@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: HV Capacitors - PTFE


Our new local HV group is finding the securing or producing reliable,
high capacitance capacitors at low cost for working in the 10's of kV
range a serious challenge.  

Commercial products found so far are completely out of the question in
cost.  So much negative prose on the net about plate capacitors makes
them unattractive.  

The obvious use of 20 or 30 free MOT caps in a parallel/series array
doesn't appear to be used so I'm assuming there is a dielectric
breakdown problem associated with that.

In one of my other lives, I own a business that supplies chemical,
tubes, fuse, etc. to hobbyists who build their own fireworks.
Consequently, I have a fair amount of 400 micron PTFE (Teflon) powder on
hand.  Somewhere on the net that I cannot relocate, it seems there
information on the use this material in some very hot 'bucket' type
capacitors.  

Any ideas would be appreciated.


Carl Litton
901-374-5747