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Fish Caps

About a year ago I used to work for a small fire/gas detection company in the UK. Often we would play a prank by connecting capacitors backwards across a 30V/10A psu to make them explode. We had a box of

500 or so Philips 100uF,40V axial electrolytic capacitors. One day we decided to try one of these buggers and were suprised by the loud explosion and absolutely awful stench of rotten fish (yes FISH)! The smell was so bad that it would linger in our 5mx5m production room for the rest of the day - we were laughing histerically about this! (we gave these caps the nickname 'fish caps')

My main reason for posting is what the hell was in those capacitors that made them smell so bad? I am aware that most aluminium electrolytic capacitors contain ammonium perborate and ethylene glycol but they *never* smell anything like those Philips ones! IIRC the date code on the box was marked 1992.

Is it possible that they contain PCB's or some other carcinogenic substance?

Here's a pic:

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Thanks, abc5377.

Reply to
abc5377
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Hmm, We've know about "fish caps" for some time. They get a bad rap for failure in camcorders after some years. Usually the ones I've seen are surface mount cans and the camcorders smell like fish. Here's a search link in the repair section:

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Richard

Reply to
spudnuty

Well you better hope that they don't have PCB's or some other carcinogenic substances if you spent the entire day in your 5x5 little room, breathing in the smell! ....so long, its been nice knowing ya!

-- Kim..."A Man Of True Frankenstinean Proportions"

Reply to
Kim Sleep

Amazing - they actually use a derivative of fish oil in these capacitors! Now that explains the awful smell.

Reply to
abc5377

I happened to blow up a red sanyo os-con at home by accident this time. I had put it in backwards. There was a muffled 'pop' and green smoke was coming out of the case through the ventilation holes :-) Oh my god you can't describe how bad the acrid smell is.

Reply to
abc5377

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