| Most of you are familiar with the coolant in your lasers
(FC-40 or FC-770). For those of you who are not familiar with it,
this is the short version description or you can go directly to
price .
Some laser manufacturers (like Lumenis) recommend Fluorinert
FC-770, a specialty fluid from 3M, as coolant for their laser
tubes. It is a colorless, odorless liquid (just like water) and
if you get some of it on your fingers, it is harmless (just wash
your hands with water, according to 3M).
Here is the description from 3M web site:
- Heat Transfer Fluids :
The wide liquid range of Fluorinert liquid FC-770 (-127°C to
95°C) make them ideal for use in automated test equipment
(ATE) and other semiconductor process equipment. Its high
dielectric strength means it will not damage electronic equipment
or semiconductor wafers, chips or packages in the event of a leak
or other failure. In addition, FC-40 and FC-770 liquid are
chemically stable, nonflammable and non-toxic.
When you remove for service and re-install a Sharplan laser
tube, some of the FC-770 fluid gets spilled and is lost. Most of
you need 'a little' to 'top off' the reservoir, often less than
'a cup full'.
3M sells Fluorinert liquids by the
Kilo (kg). The smallest container supplied by 3M is 5 kg ( =11
lbs). Next size up is 20 kg ( =44 lbs).
However this stuff is not cheap, so you better first figure
out how much you need.
Either of Fluorinert FC-40 or FC-770 are about 2 times heavier
than water and here is some rough calculations for converting
'kilograms' of FC-40 /FC-770 liquid into 'Liters or Quarts':
First remember that ;
1 Liter =1000 cc = approx. 1 Quart ( to be exact 1Qrt = 946
cc)
1 Liter of water = 1 kg =2.2 lbs but these fluids are 2 times
heavier than water, therefore;
1 Liter of FC-770 ~ 2 kg ~ 4.4 lbs
1/4 Liter of FC770 = 250 cc ~ 1/2 kg ~ 1.1 lbs
To get a feel for 1/4 Liter = 250 cc volume, consider
that
1 Cup is 8 Oz = 236.5 cc.
So 1/4 litter is approximately 1 cup.
Or, in the US, a can of Coke is 12 Oz (355 cc or 1.5 cup). But
if you live somewhere else, a can of Coke may be 10 Oz or 8 Oz (
~250 cc).
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