Electronic jobbers often carry the HV silicone putty in the US under the Calectro line of TV-electronic repair acessories. It is in the form of a golf ball sized wad often in a small poly baggey and is made to hang on a large Calectro display rack in most of the better electronic suppliers. Radio 'Shock' used to carry it under their own brand. It is used to supress corona in TV sets repalacing the old glyptal corona dope.
There is nothing quite like it for quick and dirty HV connections or semi-permenant connections where water and air exclusion is a must. The art comes in excluding air as you apply it to the joint. I come from underneath the joint and ooze it around with pressure as I close it from above.
10kv or less rarely coronas much in relatively dry air and it is only when voltages over 15-20kv are being routed that extreme measures must be taken to control corona. At 30kv and above, special conductors and specially controlled and designed joints are an absolute must to avoid problems. Soldering and normal bolted hardware are out. It becomes a study in mechanical engineering with a minor in electrostatics and material sciences. Most such exposed systems are tanked in oil.
Richard Hull
Richard Hull
Created on Wednesday, April 25, 2001 10:31 AM EDT by Richard Hull