Hi Everyone,

I plan to conduct an experiment where I need to use liquid with significant dielectric constant which acts as an isolator. Water has er = ~80 but is a poor electric isolator. Izolator oils have er ~3-5. What is more, I would need much higher values of er, like 1000.

Solid material presents values of ~10 000 (barium titanate).

Do you know liquides with high er and very low conductance? 

Are there any theoretical limitations to reach values like in the solid materials?

Thank you a lot!

On 11/15/2018 at 3:10 PM, Experimenter said:

Hi Everyone,

I plan to conduct an experiment where I need to use liquid with significant dielectric constant which acts as an isolator. Water has er = ~80 but is a poor electric isolator. Izolator oils have er ~3-5. What is more, I would need much higher values of er, like 1000.

Solid material presents values of ~10 000 (barium titanate).

Do you know liquides with high er and very low conductance? 

Are there any theoretical limitations to reach values like in the solid materials?

Thank you a lot!

Polychlorinated Biphenyls. "PCBs". The old "transformer" oil. Stank like the Devil, nearly incombustible, non-volatile, highly thermal-degradation resistant, could raise blisters on exposed skin, the lungs, who knows? As a kid, I had capacitors filled with the stuff, one could hear it slosh around in them. Cut one open, but only once. Wish I knew then, what I know now!   imp

Thank you for pointing out this substances. I will check it out. Good to know they are dangerous.

Best regards

PCBs are practically banned due to  toxicityand don't have very high dielectric constants