Crowbar - 9-10-2015 at 16:37
Wikipedia says PCBs are still legal in sealed applications (for example, the dielectric fluid in high voltage transformers and capacitors).
This is my exact application, high voltage dielectric fluid, except that I'm a DIYer so I need to fill my own shit.
Most transformer oil these days is mineral oil. This is crappy because it absorbs more moisture from the air, decreasing the breakdown voltage, and
catches on fire far easier (PCBs require an incinerator).
I talked to a guy who used to refurbish X-ray machines, and he said that since they switched away from PCBs, when replacing X-ray tubes he'd have to
dry out the oil in the X-ray head if he didn't want to completely replace it (he used heat, vacuum, and silica gel), which is a big hassle and I don't
want to deal with it. I just want to use PCBs and not worry about it.
I looked at alternatives that don't have the disadvantages of oil, such as fluorinated dielectric fluids, but they're invariably very expensive.
So how do I get PCBs? I can't find where to buy it online. I could probably make do with just a few liters. And please spare me any comments about
legality or the environment, because I couldn't give a rat's ass. I've dumped toxic chemicals down the toilet more times than I can count.
[Edited on 10-10-2015 by Crowbar]