Categories of exhibits
Diffusion pump oil Santovac 5
Exhibit no. 360
Diffusion pumps contain a working fluid that is evaporated by the boiler at the bottom of the pumps. The fluid vapor rises through the pump to create a jet that directs residual gas downward the pump. Working fluids for oil diffusion pumps must exhibit a low vapor pressure at room temperature and must be able to resist thermal decomposition and oxidization.
Santovac 5 is a trademark for a five-ring polyphenyl ether. It is a synthetic diffusion pump oil developed from fluids used as lubricants for space vehicles. It has low vapor pressure, low backstreaming characteristics, and can be used for ultra-high vacuum applications down to less than 10-9 mbar. The fluid is chemically stable, non-corrosive, safe and non-toxic at normal operating temperatures. Similar to other diffusion pump oils it should be changed every two years. The exhibit is a 100-ml bottle with the oil purchased in the early 2000s for AX-65 diffusion pump in the Varian Saturn 2000R ion trap GC/MS.
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