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Potting Compound for High Voltage Tube (X-Ray...)
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sixtimesseven:
Hi

I'm looking for a potting solution to get rid of the (vegetable) oils I used so far to keep the 55kv creeping all over ... well everywhere. Sneaky bastards those high powered electrons  :-DD

I want to build a case around a small 50W Microfocus XRay tube with either a steel case, aluminium and some lead reinforcement or a cast lead housing if I want to be really sure... However sealing everything + having room for expansion of the oil is a pain.

First idea was something like paraffin but that will melt and potentially get messy. Also it burns. Normal potting would be good but I'm worried about a hot expanding glass cylinder under vacuum pressing against somewhat hard potting compound.
So I'm looking for these clear, reenterable, self healing type (silicone?) potting compunds like they use in IGBT's, high voltage multimeters etc. which should be very flexible and still stay in place inside the case.

Something like: https://www.intertronics.co.uk/product/optically-clear-silicone-potting-compound-opti-tec-7020/
But available in 100ish gram quantities.

MagicSmoker:
You can't use any old potting compound at 55kV - it needs to be exceptionally inert and have a very high dielectric strength. You also need to vacuum degas it after immersion to eliminate any trapped air.

I wouldn't think the re-enterable silicone would work here, but maybe. The thing is, do you want to find out it isn't up to the job the hard way? Paraffin wax is a safe choice, and so is mineral oil - the former is less messy but much more difficult to degas - otherwise, two-part silicone that releases methanol and ammonia during curing, rather than acetic acid, might work.

For small quantities of silicone potting compounds I like MG Chemicals - https://www.mgchemicals.com/products/rtv-silicones/potting-compounds/ - but I don't know if their stuff is available in Switzerland.
sixtimesseven:

--- Quote from: MagicSmoker on December 02, 2019, 08:52:23 pm ---You can't use any old potting compound at 55kV - it needs to be exceptionally inert and have a very high dielectric strength. You also need to vacuum degas it after immersion to eliminate any trapped air.

I wouldn't think the re-enterable silicone would work here, but maybe. The thing is, do you want to find out it isn't up to the job the hard way? Paraffin wax is a safe choice, and so is mineral oil - the former is less messy but much more difficult to degas - otherwise, two-part silicone that releases methanol and ammonia during curing, rather than acetic acid, might work.

For small quantities of silicone potting compounds I like MG Chemicals - https://www.mgchemicals.com/products/rtv-silicones/potting-compounds/ - but I don't know if their stuff is available in Switzerland.

--- End quote ---

Don't worry, I will test that before I put anything of value in there. The arc protection on my hv supply has to be tested from time to time...

The 55kv anode is seperated by >62mm. That should be plenty "even" with an air gap at ~3kv/mm for air. However on glas even slight contamination leads to creepage/breakdown along the gas.

Regarding potting: Even the "worst" compounds I have used for work had at dielectric strength in the order of kv/mm. 
For example the first compound I picked randomly on digikey claims up to 20kv/mm:https://media.digikey.com/pdf/Data%20Sheets/MG%20Chemicals%20PDFs/RTV11.pdf, that would be plenty.

My thought was that gel / jelly like with maximum flexibility could be better and would allow the glass to expand without stresses.

Any thoughts on how paraffin would behave. I mean it would start to melt around the tube - which is good since that would provide some cooling - But also the pressure of the molten wax inside the solid paraffin block would rise. My guess is that the glass tube is much stronger than the paraffin block which would break first but...







MagicSmoker:

--- Quote from: sixtimesseven on December 02, 2019, 10:07:23 pm ---The 55kv anode is seperated by >62mm. That should be plenty "even" with an air gap at ~3kv/mm for air. However on glas even slight contamination leads to creepage/breakdown along the gas.
--- End quote ---

Okay, that's plenty of separation. I was thinking you might have to pot a Cockcroft-Walton multiplier or transformer secondary or the like where there might not be much separation between extreme potential differences.


--- Quote from: sixtimesseven on December 02, 2019, 10:07:23 pm ---Regarding potting: Even the "worst" compounds I have used for work had at dielectric strength in the order of kv/mm.
For example the first compound I picked randomly on digikey claims up to 20kv/mm
--- End quote ---

Uh-huh... The problem here is the high electric field strength causes chemical reactions to occur that otherwise wouldn't (or only at an infinitesimal rate). Just because a material is rated to withstand 20kV/mm doesn't mean it can withstand it indefinitely.

That said, properly cured silicone - usually requiring addition of a curing agent or catalyst in potting applications - has a good combination of high dielectric strength and chemical inertness. But, you have to vacuum degas it otherwise the dielectric strength in the void(s) is merely that of air...



--- Quote from: sixtimesseven on December 02, 2019, 10:07:23 pm ---Any thoughts on how paraffin would behave. I mean it would start to melt around the tube - which is good since that would provide some cooling - But also the pressure of the molten wax inside the solid paraffin block would rise. My guess is that the glass tube is much stronger than the paraffin block which would break first but...
--- End quote ---

No idea. Paraffin isn't particularly rigid or strong even when solid, but your concern is valid. FWIW, low to moderate power commercial x-ray tubes are usually potted in silicone  while higher power tubes are almost always immersion-cooled in a high dielectric strength oil.
sixtimesseven:

--- Quote from: MagicSmoker on December 02, 2019, 11:11:22 pm ---
--- Quote from: sixtimesseven on December 02, 2019, 10:07:23 pm ---Regarding potting: Even the "worst" compounds I have used for work had at dielectric strength in the order of kv/mm.
For example the first compound I picked randomly on digikey claims up to 20kv/mm
--- End quote ---

Uh-huh... The problem here is the high electric field strength causes chemical reactions to occur that otherwise wouldn't (or only at an infinitesimal rate). Just because a material is rated to withstand 20kV/mm doesn't mean it can withstand it indefinitely.

That said, properly cured silicone - usually requiring addition of a curing agent or catalyst in potting applications - has a good combination of high dielectric strength and chemical inertness. But, you have to vacuum degas it otherwise the dielectric strength in the void(s) is merely that of air...

--- End quote ---

Hmm.. I did not know that. Thanks!
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