Fusion Message Board

In this space, visitors are invited to post any comments, questions, or skeptical observations about Philo T. Farnsworth's contributions to the field of Nuclear Fusion research.

Subject: Re: x-ray supply
Date:
Poster: Tom Ligon

On , Tom Ligon wrote:

Richard,

At my old company we had a very old Siemans x-ray power supply capable of 70 kV and 60 mA! The transformer was oil-filled. We tested it and found it was plain mineral oil -- it pre-dated PCB use.

PCB formulation varies greatly. Some can cause bad skin irritation. It can contain large amounts of dioxins, the really harmful class of chemically related compounds (they have oxygen bridges between the two phenyls). I have seen research which suggests dioxins are very harmful to mice and many other mammals, but, curiously, humans are surprisingly immune to it.

I'd use it with care. And I'd hate to be caught with it. The disposal costs are astronomical.

Tom