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polystyrene
SavannahLion:
Thought I should share this bit of horror.
I was doing some research on polystyrene (aka styrofoam though that's an incorrect name if you want to get technical). I've worked with one form or another of styrene plastics for years. So I was rather comfortable with the ins and outs of it. However, while researching the subject, I came across a strange blurb about electrical wiring and polystyrene. Specifically, there is an issue with polystyrene type insulation and their contact with the electrical wiring in a home. Apparently one of the additives in PVC(?) jacketed wiring reacts with polystyrene effectively melting the plastic. Every first grade science student will tell you that since for every action there is an opposite and equal reaction, the chemical (a softener apparently) that makes polystyrene melt is no longer resident in the PVC making the PVC brittle. This effectively makes the jacket useless and a fire hazard.
While anyone who works with polystyrene and electrical wiring may know this, I did not. Not until this past week and most certainly not seventeen years ago.
To my point....
One of my very first computers of any type was my beloved Atari XEGS. When I turned 15 or so, I packed my Atari away in the original polystyrene foam packaging that it came in. It has remained in that box, untouched, for the last 17 years or so.
While researching the relationship between polystyrene and wiring I discovered that this was why manufacturers of electrical goodies bag their wiring prior to packaging in a polystyrene shell. That rang a little bell of horror. I always try to store all of my old computers and consoles in their OEM packages. Diving into my storage, I pulled out the first one I found, my first electronics goodie ever, my Atari XEGS.
"Did I package this right" I thought? I plopped the polystyrene packaging out and pulled the first of three layers of packaging off. As expected the keyboard had yellowed. I was disappointed but not surprised. With all the other reports of "antique" electronics yellowing I did not expect mine to be any different. After all both my SNES and NES had yellowed quite handily. In any case, my keyboard, joystick, lightgun and games were all bagged.... more or less.
Then I spotted the cords. They were not tucked in their bags but had sprung out like sickly little worms after a rain. Aggh! So I pulled out the light gun, and to my surprise, it escaped unscathed. Except for spotty yellowing, it appeared nearly exactly the way I packaged it. The joystick, however, did not fair well. Good sized chunks of the cord is now "glossy" from the melted polystyrene. The worst of it had sunk into the packaging roughly 1/4" inch. I pulled off the next layer and the power supply wasn't even bagged at all. It too had received the "polystyrene" treatment. Though only on the boot where the cord meets the brick. However, my now experienced and discerning 32 year old eye ball spotted another problem. Stress on the power cord just as it enters the brick. I've seen this damage before, most notably on my favorite space header just before the cord melted apart. The copper cord is likely damaged internally.
So now, off I go to find a replacement power supply before this one burns out (also before any N.O.S. disappears) and a new joystick cord.
I'm also going to have to dig out my other game consoles that I believe (but I'm not 100% certain) may be packaged in their OEM boxes. I know my N64 is. My PSX is in a refurb box and I'm not sure where my Lynx is. My 1st (dead) Gennie is but no cords. That's just the game consoles. I'm not sure what some of my older electronics equipment are stored in so I'll have to double check them as well.
SavannahLion:
Forgot the photos.
These were taken with my camera phone. I can't seem to find the higher quality camera anywhere.
The cord is a little harder to discern because of the shine from the light. Couldn't seem to position it just right to avoid that sheen. Before this photo, the styrene was actually a layer of solid white (you can see a small smidge still on the cord). I scraped it off with my finger nail to see just how deep the damage was. This was the part of the cord that buried itself 1/4" into the packaging.
The keyboard shows just how yellowed it's gotten. Strangely enough, on the phone itself, it came out a nice gray tone. ???
WhereEaglesDare:
Interesting... how long does it take for the polystyrene to effect electrical wire jackets to the point of fire hazard?
SavannahLion:
--- Quote from: WhereEaglesDare on January 24, 2011, 07:37:52 am ---Interesting... how long does it take for the polystyrene to effect electrical wire jackets to the point of fire hazard?
--- End quote ---
I haven't the foggiest. From the small amount of research I've done so far, it appears to be a "recent" concern. I don't really know enough about building codes to pinpoint a time frame. I plan on doing more research today.
My XEGS was stored for over 17 years and showed damage (though not the brittleness). I also found an exercise ball that was on contact with a styrene based stapler that melted the stapler shell but did nothing to the ball. The stapler and ball was in a box for three years. I found that about three months ago and, at the time, assumed it was from the composition of the "squash" material inside the ball. Now I wonder if the ball was some type of PVC? I don't know. Styrene, I'm good with. PVC eh... not so much.
The wiring inside your wall isn't made to be handled extensively once it is installed so the composition of the PVC is obviously different than the wire used for a joystick.
ChadTower:
As a long time console collector I have seen that on cords a million times. I always chalked it up to aging rubber but never knew what caused it or why I saw it so often on some things (RF cords) but not on others (controllers). Very interesting.
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