Thanks to all who posted! Will basic silicone really work ok? As like most of you guys, I haven't needed any H.V. silicone for years, & I can't find any anywhere locally, even my local suppiers don't know! Rono.
No, regular silicone will not work. The acetic acid in the silicone will eat away the aluminum metal that makes of the hv anode contact, not to mention the standard silicone does not insulate to 35kV.
It is highly unlikely that any local suppliers will carry it. It is pretty much limited to use on PTV picture tubes that need the hv anode replaced. i.e. Philips, Toshiba, etc.
Pretty much any real servicer that has done warranty repair for several years on the major RPTV brands will have some of the HV rated RTV on hand.
I've used basic clear silicone to pot HV multiplier assemblies up to around
20KV so it should work just fine for what you're doing.
You can get acid free silicone, it's sold as sensor safe as it won't damage O2 sensors in cars though in practice I've never had a problem with corrosion even with normal stuff. It most certainly will insulate to 35KV, as will any other insulating material so long as it's thick enough, and in practice it doesn't have to be particularly thick.
Yep, same here.
--- sam | Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ Mirror:
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