On Sat, 28 Nov 2015 08:26:55 -0800 (PST), Christopher Tidy
wrote:

I've tried to follow the answers you've received regarding oil and
charge, and I'm not certain you're getting correct information.

Dielectrics, permittivity and so on is an aspect of electricity about
which I'm pretty vague, but my recollection is that a
high-permittivity material, like the mineral oil used in oil-filled
capacitors, polarizes easily with a low charge on the opposing plates,
and I would think that equates to a high potential to store an
electrical charge. (or maybe it's irrelevant, because polarization is
not the same thing as storing a charge)

But, as I said, I've always been a little vague about this, being more
interested in the results in a capacitor than in the electric charge
within the dielectric. For example, although there is a high degree of
electrical polarization within the oil, I believe that the net charge
is zero. What that implies for the ability of oil to*store* a charge
is where I'm vague about it.

Thanks for the response, Ed. The way I understand it (and this isn't really my field), you need to either tear electrons out of the oil or force more electrons in, so that a net charge is present in the oil rising up the pipe. How one achieves that, and how easily it can be done, I'm not sure.

Same here. d8-)

--
Ed Huntress