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Over about the last decade I have encountered with increasing frequency a black corrosion on the strands of copper wire.
When you strip the wire it'll be jet black instead of old copper brown.
It cannot be soldered.
It is a real nuisance when trying to repair something like an automobile headlamp socket or an extension cord that needs a new end.
It used to be somewhat unusual, then it seemed to be most frequent on particular colored wires, nowadays it's prevalent. Three questions:
1. Might this coating be copper sulfate ?
2. Might it be caused by sulfur bearing organotin stabilizers in the PVC insulation, as metal based ones are phased out?? (##&I@#!@&^ that 9** partiple EPA )
3. What will dissolve it and leave me with shiny copper that I can solder?
I've tried MEK, alcohol, acetone, paint stripper, salt & vinegar to no avail. Scraping gets only one face of outside strands leaving me a joint that I don't trust for high current.
This is aggravating handymen worldwide, just try a search.
Sure would appreciate some education here as well as practical advice .
This is a business opportunity - bottle a cure .
It's about the only product i'd order from those annoying TV ads.
Thanks for any help at any level .
old jim himself
When you strip the wire it'll be jet black instead of old copper brown.
It cannot be soldered.
It is a real nuisance when trying to repair something like an automobile headlamp socket or an extension cord that needs a new end.
It used to be somewhat unusual, then it seemed to be most frequent on particular colored wires, nowadays it's prevalent. Three questions:
1. Might this coating be copper sulfate ?
2. Might it be caused by sulfur bearing organotin stabilizers in the PVC insulation, as metal based ones are phased out?? (##&I@#!@&^ that 9** partiple EPA )
3. What will dissolve it and leave me with shiny copper that I can solder?
I've tried MEK, alcohol, acetone, paint stripper, salt & vinegar to no avail. Scraping gets only one face of outside strands leaving me a joint that I don't trust for high current.
This is aggravating handymen worldwide, just try a search.
Sure would appreciate some education here as well as practical advice .
This is a business opportunity - bottle a cure .
It's about the only product i'd order from those annoying TV ads.
Thanks for any help at any level .
old jim himself