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Baby oil as transformer oil replacement?

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dmg

Sat May 15 2010, 10:00PM

Registered Member #2628 Joined: Fri Jan 15 2010, 12:23AM
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Posts: 627

I was dabling with several oils to test out to see what can I use as a permanent replacement for transformer oil (that was specifically designed for transformers).
so I desided to try out baby oil, since it is far cheaper, and I was told that it pretty much is mineral oil.. having a small bottle on, hand, I had not had high hopes for it, because it had some additives in it, but when I tried it out with a 15KV/30MA NST, It held well, no corona, no arcing, nothing.

So before I go crazy and start dumping this stuff into transformers that are going to be sealed permenantly, has anyone used this product before for long periods of time? If so, has it held up well?

Proud Mary

Sun May 16 2010, 12:45AM

Registered Member #543 Joined: Tue Feb 20 2007, 04:26PM
Location: UK
Posts: 4992

Baby oil is 'mineral oil' with perfumes to make it smell agreeable.

For environmental reasons 'mineral oil' is falling from favour in high voltage power transformers, and is being replaced by vegetable oil dielectrics.

Kitchen sunflower seed oil is an excellent dielectric material, and most vegetable dielectric oil patents use combinations of sunflower seed oil, rape seed oil, maize oil, and so on. Do a Google search using the terms "vegetable dielectric oil" and you will find dozens of papers and patents on the subject.

dmg

Sun May 16 2010, 12:53AM

Registered Member #2628 Joined: Fri Jan 15 2010, 12:23AM
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Thank you for clearing that up mary,
also, this oil has aloe vera and vitamin E in it, and when I smelled it, it smelled pretty nice, which kinda discouraged me about using it for transformers, since the oil I used to use is more of a greenish tint, and has a distinct odor.
for reference, here is the picture of one of the bottles.

-scented transformers anyone?

Killa-X

Sun May 16 2010, 04:18AM

Registered Member #1643 Joined: Mon Aug 18 2008, 06:10PM
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Could always perform a test with it if you're not sure. However, like stated there's many other alternatives. I usually go to the hardware store and get boiled linseed oil. Costs a dollar more here to get 1 gallon of boiled lineed oil. This way it has no impuritys...

Proud Mary

Sun May 16 2010, 09:09PM

Registered Member #543 Joined: Tue Feb 20 2007, 04:26PM
Location: UK
Posts: 4992

gatedbreakdown wrote ...

Thank you for clearing that up mary,
also, this oil has aloe vera and vitamin E in it, and when I smelled it, it smelled pretty nice, which kinda discouraged me about using it for transformers, since the oil I used to use is more of a greenish tint, and has a distinct odor.
for reference, here is the picture of one of the bottles.

-scented transformers anyone?

I wouldn't bother about some milligram quantities of oil-soluble Vitamin E and whatever soluble substances there are in aloe vera. A lot of scented products are scented simply to obscure the odour of the other ingredients.

You're not dealing with high voltage transformer dielectric oil that must remain stable for five years continuous use, are you?

dmg

Sun May 16 2010, 09:21PM

Registered Member #2628 Joined: Fri Jan 15 2010, 12:23AM
Location:
Posts: 627

Proud Mary wrote ...

You're not dealing with high voltage transformer dielectric oil that must remain stable for five years continuous use, are you?

Perhaps...

no really though, the oil will probably not see more then 10KV.. and I just plan on sealing it inside a container with the transformer in it, I guess you are right, such a miniscule amount wont affect performance..
just perfume for transformer oil basicly...

Proud Mary

Sun May 16 2010, 11:18PM

Registered Member #543 Joined: Tue Feb 20 2007, 04:26PM
Location: UK
Posts: 4992

gatedbreakdown wrote ...

Proud Mary wrote ...

You're not dealing with high voltage transformer dielectric oil that must remain stable for five years continuous use, are you?

Perhaps...

You could paint it pink, too!

Bored Chemist

Mon May 17 2010, 07:50PM

Registered Member #193 Joined: Fri Feb 17 2006, 07:04AM
Location: sheffield
Posts: 1022

Boiled linseed oil is designed to turn into a sticky mess. It's also sufficiently reactive with air to be spontaneously flammable in some circumstances,

radiotech

Mon May 17 2010, 07:51PM

Registered Member #2463 Joined: Wed Nov 11 2009, 03:49AM
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Here's a test device; you might be able to copy it.

After zapping the vegetable based medicated oil it could be examined (carefully) for new and interesting long chain mollecules.

Proud Mary

Mon May 17 2010, 08:07PM

Registered Member #543 Joined: Tue Feb 20 2007, 04:26PM
Location: UK
Posts: 4992

gatedbreakdown wrote ...

I just plan on sealing it inside a container with the transformer in it

Do remember that the oil will expand when the transformer warms up.

Approaches to this problem range from leaving a free space above the oil inside the case filled with non-reactive non-flammable gas, having a vent which will open at a given pressure, or by using compressible materials or objects inside the casing.

If you don't take care of the pressure problem in a sealed unit in one way or another, the very least problem will be leakage.

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