Solvent smells in new gear
Sylvia Else
bought a number of items which produce a strong solvent smell when
turned on, with varying amounts of time before the smell wears off.
One was a PC PSU, which I sent back because the smell was so
overpowering, even after running for a few days, that I couldn't stay in
the same room.
Has something significant changed in recent times?
Sylvia.
D from BC
Had related incident last year.
http://groups.google.ca/group/sci.electronics.design/browse_thread/thread/ca2396825fca6f61
It's less stinky now.
D from BC
myrealaddress(at)comic(dot)com
BC, Canada
Posted to usenet sci.electronics.design
Sylvia Else
The irony is that this gear is a new UPS that I bought in the
expectation that I wouldn't be able to repair my old one, and didn't
want to go very long without a UPS (too many power glitches here). But
it's not being used, and is sitting in another room doing a burn in, for
who knows how long :(
Sylvia.
Dave Platt
I imagine so, although I'm not sure what added/new materials are
causing the odor you're noticing.
A significant number of materials previously used in electronics
manufacturer have been, or are being phased out as part of the ROHS
(Reduction of Hazardous Substances) movement, and newer materials have
been substituted. Lead reduction has gotten the most publicity, but
if I recall correctly there are some fire-retardent materials and
stabilizers that have been eliminated.
Substitutes for banned materials, new plastics, or just different
processes used by manufacturers in different countries (e.g. Chinese
OEMs)... could be any of those you're smelling.
--
Dave Platt <dpl...@radagast.org> AE6EO
Friends of Jade Warrior home page: http://www.radagast.org/jade-warrior
I do _not_ wish to receive unsolicited commercial email, and I will
boycott any company which has the gall to send me such ads!
Rich Grise
Better packaging? ;-)
Cheers!
Rich
Spehro Pefhany
Your sinuses cleared up? ;-)
Have not noticed much with electronic gear, but the Chinese seem to
use something in their rubber that reeks of charcoal (maybe it's
charcoal!). Places with a lot of pneumatic tires and such like from
overseas (eg. Habor Fright, Princess Auto) are rather stinky as a
result.
Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany
--
"it's the network..." "The Journey is the reward"
sp...@interlog.com Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com
Embedded software/hardware/analog Info for designers: http://www.speff.com
TheM
I did notice that the cars in US smell weird/bad. I guess regulations must exist
that dictate some kind of plastic material that reeks, especially when new or
near-new as rentals often are.
Sometimes you buy a leather chair or a big sofa and it reeks for a week or two.
Probably not exactly healthy.
M
Ben Bradley
<spef...@interlogDOTyou.knowwhat> wrote:
>On Sun, 26 Apr 2009 14:54:58 +1000, the renowned Sylvia Else
><syl...@not.at.this.address> wrote:
>
>>I've never noticed this as a problem in years gone by, but of late I've
>>bought a number of items which produce a strong solvent smell when
>>turned on, with varying amounts of time before the smell wears off.
>>
>>One was a PC PSU, which I sent back because the smell was so
>>overpowering, even after running for a few days, that I couldn't stay in
>>the same room.
>>
>>Has something significant changed in recent times?
>>
>>Sylvia.
>
>Your sinuses cleared up? ;-)
>
>Have not noticed much with electronic gear, but the Chinese seem to
>use something in their rubber that reeks of charcoal (maybe it's
>charcoal!). Places with a lot of pneumatic tires and such like from
>overseas (eg. Habor Fright, Princess Auto) are rather stinky as a
>result.
Could it be air pollution from all their coal-burning power plants?
I recall an NPR story from a year or two ago that said China was
building coal-fired power plants at the rate of one per week. I
suspect the rate has dropped since the toxic-mortgage crisis dominoed
into the rest of the world's economy, but remember the Olympics
(perhaps their biggest ever motivator to clean up their air if even
for a few weeks) - they got some bad air there.
>
>
>Best regards,
>Spehro Pefhany
Ben Bradley
<syl...@not.at.this.address> wrote:
Open the case (presuming doing so doesn't void the warranty) and
place a window fan so it blows over it while it's "burning in." That
may speed up the destink process somewhat.
>
>Sylvia.
Spehro Pefhany
<ben_u_...@etcmail.com> wrote:
>On Sun, 26 Apr 2009 16:13:09 -0400, Spehro Pefhany
><spef...@interlogDOTyou.knowwhat> wrote:
>
>>On Sun, 26 Apr 2009 14:54:58 +1000, the renowned Sylvia Else
>><syl...@not.at.this.address> wrote:
>>
>>>I've never noticed this as a problem in years gone by, but of late I've
>>>bought a number of items which produce a strong solvent smell when
>>>turned on, with varying amounts of time before the smell wears off.
>>>
>>>One was a PC PSU, which I sent back because the smell was so
>>>overpowering, even after running for a few days, that I couldn't stay in
>>>the same room.
>>>
>>>Has something significant changed in recent times?
>>>
>>>Sylvia.
>>
>>Your sinuses cleared up? ;-)
>>
>>Have not noticed much with electronic gear, but the Chinese seem to
>>use something in their rubber that reeks of charcoal (maybe it's
>>charcoal!). Places with a lot of pneumatic tires and such like from
>>overseas (eg. Habor Fright, Princess Auto) are rather stinky as a
>>result.
>
> Could it be air pollution from all their coal-burning power plants?
No.
>I recall an NPR story from a year or two ago that said China was
>building coal-fired power plants at the rate of one per week.
It's a BIG country.
> I
>suspect the rate has dropped since the toxic-mortgage crisis dominoed
>into the rest of the world's economy,
Maybe not, it's a good make-work stimulus thing.
>but remember the Olympics
>(perhaps their biggest ever motivator to clean up their air if even
>for a few weeks) - they got some bad air there.
The air does not have a particularly strong odor in Chinese cities.
Shanghai in the spring can smell pretty pleasant. No worse than Los
Angeles in the early eighties.
Back when coal passenger trains were common you'd get rather dirty
during the long (eg. 45 hour) train trips with the windows open. And
when you blew your nose you'd see what was being filtered out. But no
particular smells, provided you were not too close to the ce4 suo3.
8-(
Michael A. Terrell
Spehro Pefhany wrote:
>
> Have not noticed much with electronic gear, but the Chinese seem to
> use something in their rubber that reeks of charcoal (maybe it's
> charcoal!). Places with a lot of pneumatic tires and such like from
> overseas (eg. Habor Fright, Princess Auto) are rather stinky as a
> result.
Some of the imported casters have an even stronger odor. I bought
some a year ago, and figured it would go away. They still smell so bad
I won't use them in my shop.
--
You can't have a sense of humor, if you have no sense!
Spehro Pefhany
<mike.t...@earthlink.net> wrote:
>
>Spehro Pefhany wrote:
>
>>
>> Have not noticed much with electronic gear, but the Chinese seem to
>> use something in their rubber that reeks of charcoal (maybe it's
>> charcoal!). Places with a lot of pneumatic tires and such like from
>> overseas (eg. Habor Fright, Princess Auto) are rather stinky as a
>> result.
>
>
> Some of the imported casters have an even stronger odor. I bought
>some a year ago, and figured it would go away. They still smell so bad
>I won't use them in my shop.
You can make ricin from those things..
Martin Brown
> "Rich Grise" <rich...@example.net> wrote in message news:pan.2009.04.26....@example.net...
>> On Sun, 26 Apr 2009 14:54:58 +1000, Sylvia Else wrote:
>>
>>> I've never noticed this as a problem in years gone by, but of late I've
>>> bought a number of items which produce a strong solvent smell when
>>> turned on, with varying amounts of time before the smell wears off.
>>>
>>> One was a PC PSU, which I sent back because the smell was so
>>> overpowering, even after running for a few days, that I couldn't stay in
>>> the same room.
>>>
>>> Has something significant changed in recent times?
Most likely a new formulation of varnish and conformal coating. But they
tend to be low VOC these days and so should not really smell much at
all. Although there could be a low volatility component that comes off
when the thing gets hot the first time. It would help if you could
describe the smell.
>>>
>> Better packaging? ;-)
>>
>> Cheers!
>> Rich
>
> I did notice that the cars in US smell weird/bad. I guess regulations must exist
> that dictate some kind of plastic material that reeks, especially when new or
> near-new as rentals often are.
That is probably the air freshener they use to sanitise them between
hires. The plasticisers have a characteristic "new car" smell that is
pretty similar the world over.
>
> Sometimes you buy a leather chair or a big sofa and it reeks for a week or two.
>
> Probably not exactly healthy.
Leather sofas from China you have to be very careful about. There has
been a pretty massive problem with contact dermatitus in the UK
involving use of DMF fungicide inside leather sofas from there.
Some people were severely affected by it.
Regards,
Martin Brown
Jasen Betts
> On Sun, 26 Apr 2009 14:54:58 +1000, the renowned Sylvia Else
><syl...@not.at.this.address> wrote:
>
>>I've never noticed this as a problem in years gone by, but of late I've
>>bought a number of items which produce a strong solvent smell when
>>turned on, with varying amounts of time before the smell wears off.
>>
>>One was a PC PSU, which I sent back because the smell was so
>>overpowering, even after running for a few days, that I couldn't stay in
>>the same room.
>>
>>Has something significant changed in recent times?
>>
>>Sylvia.
>
> Your sinuses cleared up? ;-)
>
> Have not noticed much with electronic gear, but the Chinese seem to
> use something in their rubber that reeks of charcoal (maybe it's
> charcoal!).
charcoal has an odour?
> Places with a lot of pneumatic tires and such like from
> overseas (eg. Habor Fright, Princess Auto) are rather stinky as a
> result.
possibly it's unscented talc?
> Best regards,
> Spehro Pefhany
Nutz
"Jasen Betts" <ja...@xnet.co.nz> wrote in message
news:gt3vjc$fi6$2...@reversiblemaps.ath.cx...
unscented talc has an odour?
>> Best regards,
>> Spehro Pefhany
>
Richard the Dreaded Libertarian
>
> Back when coal passenger trains were common you'd get rather dirty
> during the long (eg. 45 hour) train trips with the windows open. And
> when you blew your nose you'd see what was being filtered out. But no
> particular smells, provided you were not too close to the ce4 suo3.
> 8-(
Cigarettes can help forestall Black Lung, because they stimulate the
cough reflex, assisting the cilia in flushing out the REAL toxins; and the
sticky smoke particles capture and retain the bad stuff for safe disposal
by hocking up the tarry loogies. ;-P
Cheers!
Rich
Rich Grise
> TheM wrote:
>> "Rich Grise" <rich...@example.net> wrote in message news:pan.2009.04.26....@example.net...
>>> On Sun, 26 Apr 2009 14:54:58 +1000, Sylvia Else wrote:
>>>
>>>> I've never noticed this as a problem in years gone by, but of late I've
>>>> bought a number of items which produce a strong solvent smell when
>>>> turned on, with varying amounts of time before the smell wears off.
>>>>
>>>> One was a PC PSU, which I sent back because the smell was so
>>>> overpowering, even after running for a few days, that I couldn't stay in
>>>> the same room.
>>>>
>>>> Has something significant changed in recent times?
>
> Most likely a new formulation of varnish and conformal coating. But they
> tend to be low VOC these days and so should not really smell much at
> all. Although there could be a low volatility component that comes off
> when the thing gets hot the first time. It would help if you could
> describe the smell.
Maybe the Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) have been replaced by Volatile
INorganic Compounds? ;-P
Cheers!
Rich
Michael A. Terrell
Spehro Pefhany wrote:
>
> On Sun, 26 Apr 2009 22:18:10 -0400, the renowned "Michael A. Terrell"
> <mike.t...@earthlink.net> wrote:
>
> >
> >Spehro Pefhany wrote:
> >
> >>
> >> Have not noticed much with electronic gear, but the Chinese seem to
> >> use something in their rubber that reeks of charcoal (maybe it's
> >> charcoal!). Places with a lot of pneumatic tires and such like from
> >> overseas (eg. Habor Fright, Princess Auto) are rather stinky as a
> >> result.
> >
> >
> > Some of the imported casters have an even stronger odor. I bought
> >some a year ago, and figured it would go away. They still smell so bad
> >I won't use them in my shop.
>
> You can make ricin from those things..
I'd rather make carts for the shop out of them, but they still make
my eyes water.
Ross Herbert
wrote:
:On Sun, 26 Apr 2009 16:06:24 +1000, Sylvia Else
Not a very good idea...
Most PC type PSU's have their own fan so there is little point using an external
fan and I have yet to see a new PSU without a "warranty void if opened" sticker.
Spehro Pefhany
<mike.t...@earthlink.net> wrote:
>
>Spehro Pefhany wrote:
>>
>> On Sun, 26 Apr 2009 22:18:10 -0400, the renowned "Michael A. Terrell"
>> <mike.t...@earthlink.net> wrote:
>>
>> >
>> >Spehro Pefhany wrote:
>> >
>> >>
>> >> Have not noticed much with electronic gear, but the Chinese seem to
>> >> use something in their rubber that reeks of charcoal (maybe it's
>> >> charcoal!). Places with a lot of pneumatic tires and such like from
>> >> overseas (eg. Habor Fright, Princess Auto) are rather stinky as a
>> >> result.
>> >
>> >
>> > Some of the imported casters have an even stronger odor. I bought
>> >some a year ago, and figured it would go away. They still smell so bad
>> >I won't use them in my shop.
>>
>> You can make ricin from those things..
>
>
> I'd rather make carts for the shop out of them, but they still make
>my eyes water.
It's only the oil on them that's dangerous.