Creating an Exotic Material With A Permanent Static Charge (Electret)

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[sp-mpti]

Set the electret on a fixed stand. Take the detector and move it around behind it on a fixed distance. Now set your camera to a long-exposure and you will get an image of the complete electric field in high resolution..

[mikeselectricstuff]

How about using a pair of N- and P-channel MOSFETS for the sensing, with red and green LEDs to show the polarity.

[DashsChannel]

I never even knew what an electret was until less than 20 minutes ago. What a crazy concept, I love it

[Nighthawkinlight]

Well that's a comically easy process to make these things. How are they not available everywhere for science demos and magic tricks? You've got to try using it to float those flying foil things and plastic bag rings

[ali-pnmj]

please try this "weird" phenomenon using your electret :
When a magnet and an electret are near one another, a rather unusual phenomenon occurs: while stationary, neither has any effect on one another. However, when an electret is moved with respect to a magnetic pole, a force is felt which acts perpendicular to the magnetic field, pushing the electret along a path 90 degrees to the expected direction of "push" as would be felt with another magnet.

[chriscarter]

I used to work for 3M. We used Electret fibres for air filters.

[jwrosenbury]

You can use the electret to test the Poynting Vector if you'd like a follow-up video. A moving electret is a current of sorts. It should resist a change in position with a tiny force. A moving charge also generates a far field, a radio field. So, spinning one fast enough should generate a radio wave. (Due to Special Relativity, look for the relevant equations in a Physics book. Breaking Radiation.)

[MarcaCanaglia]

You know what would be even more cool? Building two of them and then show us how they attract/repel just like we are used to do with common magnets ❤

[XxShOeEaTeRxX]

this channel is very reminiscent of the old TKOR with Grant, fills a little void in my heart

[timokreuzer]

When you point your finger at your Van de Graaff generator, it doesn't actually lose charge, or at least not a lot. The static electric field from the generator causes the electrons in your finger to be either attracted on pushed away, depending on charge of the sphere. The result is a charged finger, which creates it's own electric field, which is opposite to the primary field and completely offsets it within your finger. But this field extends beyond your finger, weakening the primary field. If you get your finger close enough to the generator, it's field becomes strong enough to reduce the field at the detector below the detection threshold.

[vaibhavhayaran]

Everytime I start to believe that i know everything in fundamental sciences these very intelligent science youtubers come up with videos about things that are not taught or available mainstream. I love your videos plasma man. I've always used electret microphones in my electronic projects always thought that electret is some trade name or something this video proved me wrong and made me Learn something new. Wonderful! Thanks.

[greenaum]

Quick note, but when melting wax, candle makers use a bain-marie. A water bath. You fill the pan with water then put another container within, stood up on a couple of blocks. The wax goes in that. That way the temperature can never get above 100C. It's fine for wax (and also chocolate come to think of it), and it won't get high enough that the wax might ignite or char.

[CalvinGentry-uh]

I tried maximizing potential using some of the same ideas and added a few..

Composition

Best Option: Fluoropolymers (e.g., PTFE-based liquid precursors) for their high dielectric constant and stability.

Additives: Nanoparticles like barium titanate (BaTiO₃) or silica for enhanced dipole alignment and retention.

Electric Field Application

Optimal Field Strength: 10–50 kV/cm for uniform polarization without dielectric breakdown.

Electrode Geometry: Tapered edge electrodes to prevent charge concentration at the edges and ensure field uniformity.

Mold Design

Tapered Edges: Narrow tapering at edges (15–30°) to reduce charge concentration.

Material: Non-conductive ceramic molds with low thermal conductivity to minimize leakage.

Cooling Dynamics

Controlled Cooling: Gradual cooling rate (~1–3°C/min) to lock dipoles while avoiding stress.

Thermal Gradient: Even temperature distribution across the liquid volume.

Separation Plate

Material: Thin polyimide film for insulation, coated with a fluoropolymer layer for high dielectric performance.

Thickness: ~100 microns to maintain separation without significant loss of field strength.

Environmental Controls

Humidity: <1% during the entire process to prevent charge dissipation.

Pressure: Slight vacuum (~10^-3 atm) to reduce molecular interference with dipole alignment.

Combining Factors

Polarization Phase:
Place the liquid dielectric in a tapered ceramic mold. Apply a uniform high-voltage electric field via optimized tapered electrodes.Ensure the liquid is uniformly heated and free of bubbles.

Locking Phase

Begin gradual cooling while maintaining the electric field. Use the separation plate to ensure no discharge occurs during cooling.

Final Stabilization

Once solidified, remove the electret from the mold under vacuum conditions.

[tonyhickey]

This couldn't have been more timely. I'm a biologist and writing a grant application on electrostatic effects on proton flow. This has given me some very useful ideas! Thanks very much, your work is very useful.

[YonatanAvhar]

For the high-res version, I think you'll have an easier time designing a PCB and having it assembled for you by JLCPCB or PCBWay. You might even be able to have the sponsor the video, I've seen them sponsor quite a few maker videos featuring their PCBs

[ShubhamBhushanCC]

You should try some grass seeds on top of water. Halliday Resnick had many pictures showing them to work similar to iron filings for electric field

[lasersurplus]

These are also used in commercial radon detection systems as well. A small disc electret (with both plates permanently attached) is charged (by the manufacturer) to a known static voltage, sent out to vendors, which take them the locations (to be evaluated for radon) and placed in a reusable chamber with known air volume exposed to its surface. To activate the detector you simply expose opening of the chamber to the location air. After x number of hours (or days) the electrets charge voltage is read out on a handheld device, and the amount of radon it was exposed to is calculated based in the size of the container and the net decrease in the electrets charge voltage. The principal of these systems is Radon's decay products (in the air) will slowly strip the electret of its charge, and can be easily read out with a static detector (in the handheld device). After several exposures the electret will no longer have enough charge for the reader to detect and you will have to send your electrets back to the manufacture for "refurbishment" I think I'm going to try to remelt them (after they are fully discharged from use) and cool under a high voltage source and see if I can find out the range needed to "refurbish" them myself!😁

[chudleyflusher]

I made the mistake of trying to explain 3D printing to people 20 years ago. They treated me like I was crazy.

[cascor]

5:19 i can explain this actually. The reason the detector thingy turns off when you point at the thinamabob is because its very rude to point and the dingus generator it stops working untill you learn some manners

[jml_]

The word electret sounded vaguely familiar but I couldn't place it until the last frame when you mentioned microphones. I remember the word from electronics kits and tape recorders when i was a kid back in the 70s and 80s "electret microphone." It was just a word back then. I had no idea what it meant. Interesting video, thanks.