22 Jun
2005
22 Jun
'05
12:34 p.m.
I don't think anything short of molten sodium or
fluorine gas bothers
PTFE.
I think the other alkali metals, if molten, attack ptfe. I am not sure
about lithium, but I'd not risk it...
There are other surprises. Ethanol (plain old alcohol) is a rather
mild solvent that bothers very few things. But it wrecks plexiglas
(lucite).
I remember the data sheet for an HP 'intellegent display' -- an LED
'starburst' 4-character device with built-in scanning logic, character
generator, etc. It warned that although the package would not be damaged
by many solbents, alcohol (I can't remember if it was all alcohols or
just ethanol) would ruin it. I've been told some optical plastics are
wrecked by ethanol too.
-tony
k