Santovac^® 5 Diffusion Pump Fluid

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1.2 cs @ 260° C(500° F)

Vapor Pressure: 4x10^-10 torr @ 25° C
Flash Point: 288° C
Auto Ignition Temperature: 590° C (1094° F)

Introduction:
Both Santovac fluids, 5 and 5P Ultra, are the same five ring polyphenyl ether, and both provide an outstanding vacuum with low vapor pressure in electron microscopes and GC-MS systems. Both are highly resistant to oxidation when abused in the diffusion pump, such as exposure to air when hot. Indeed it was designed for vacuums approaching UHV levels without the use of a liquid nitrogen trap of any type. When new, both Santovac fluids are pure polyphenyl ether (PPE). The only elements in the pure PPE base fluid are oxygen, hydrogen and carbon. And therefore, Santovac 5 is a 100% pure PPE. For further information about diffusion pumps and diffusion pump fluids generally, read the article "Inside A Vacuum Diffusion Pump".

The difference between Santovac 5 vs. Santovac 5P Ultra:
Santovac 5 Ultra is really the same material except that it has been purified so that 3 and 4 ring polyphenyl esters are present in amounts of less than 0.02% and 0.1% respectively. For mass spectrometry, where ultra purity and cleanliness is of the utmost importance, those demanding the very ultimate of their equipment will prefer this higher level version of the product. Similarly, for the electron microscope application, where as the "regular" Santovac 5 seems to work quite well for most users, there is a small number who find that Santovac 5P Ultra performs better in their instruments.

Low Backstreaming
Both Santovac fluids are known for their low backsteaming characteristics, which is especially important for the electron microscope application. This is the reason why it is so highly used not only in analytical laboratory instrumentation but also in production electronics applications.

However, since either version of the product is a hydrocarbon fluid, the molecular species from the fluid, in the presence of the ionizing radiation from the electron beam, will cause polymerization, contributing to the overall contamination of the column. For many users of electron microscopes, another alternative would be to use one of the perfluorocarbon based diffusion pump fluids, such as Fomblin^® or Krytox^®.

For electron microscopes, Santovac 5 is the most widely used diffusion pump fluid, it probably is the very best that can be used for most users, since the product exhibits excellent molecular weight, low reactivity, and outstanding vapor pressure characteristics. If an electron microscope user is examining organic materials that themselves contribute to column contamination, there would probably be no benefit from the use of the more expensive 'Santovac 5P Ultra. But if only metals or perhaps ceramics are being examined, sample that would not be themselves contributing to contamination in the column, then perhaps there could be found some benefit from the user of the higher purity fluid.

Before switching, be sure to discuss this with the manufacturer or other agency servicing your column instrument. Not all models necessarily are identical and the same for different markets. So good advice for one market might not be the best advice for another. But in general, for example, for JEOL instruments, any instrument taking Lyon-SŪ diffusion pump fluid, could be switched over to Santovac 5 without difficulty, but you could be sure that the fluid charge would last much longer between fluid changes, therefore at any given time the state of the fluid in a given instrument should be better, the vacuum better and the state of cleanliness of the vacuum better.

Use of Santovac 5 in GCMS applications:
The same reasons why Santovac 5 is such a good choice for an electron microscope application, the same reasons would apply for GS-MS applications as well. But for the highest performance level for a GCMS application, we suggest the use of Santovac 5P Ultra.

Use as an O ring lubricant:
Either of the Santovac fluids can, at times, be the recommended lubricant for "O" rings.

Thermal stability:
Santovac 5 fluid and Santovac 5P Ultra is thermally stable to approximately 466°C (870° F).

Optical properties:
The refractive index of Santovac 5 fluid is 1.62.

Selection of high vacuum grease:
This is an often times over-looked topic, but if you are using either of the Santovac fluids in your vacuum system, then the ultimate in both compatibility and performance will always be to use Santovac 5GB High Vacuum Grease.

Exporting from the USA:
Both Santovac 5 and Santovac 5P Ultra are "controlled material" in the sense that for shipment to certain countries, an export license is required. This product is classified under Fluids and Lubricating Materials of the Export Administration Regulations, U.S. Department of Commerce; ECCN #: 1C006.b1.

Santovac 5
Size	SPI #	Each		In Stock
100 ml	00012-MB	$ 329.24		Yes
500 ml	00012-RA	1190.93		No
Gallon	00012-XK	5136.15		No

Storage conditions: Room temperature
Non-hazardous from stand point of shipping