Strange reaction between cable and plastic box

[bsfeechannel]

Makes sense.

[Zero999]

Lots of oils can leech plasticisers too, causing cables to become brittle over time. Use silicone rubber or polyurethane sheathed cables to overcome this.

Many oils are also plasticisers themselves, some of which are naturally occurring. Orange oil (d-limonene) is a good example of a natural plasticiser. Try rolling some orange rind  back and forth, near some polystyrene foam, so it gets coated with a thick layer of orange oil. Leave it for a few minutes and note how it starts to shrink and become tacky, as the orange oil starts to dissolve the plastic.

Off topic
Another interesting fact about orange oil is it's an effective insecticide: squirt some on a fly and it will curl up an die.  The best thing about it is it's completely non-toxic to mammals, so can be used around food and insects poisoned by it can be safely fed to birds. The only issues are: it dissolves oils in the skin so can cause irritation, in large quantities and it's flammable, like any volatile organic compound.

[coppercone2]

I assume modern rubber has antioxidants in it that give it longer life?

The rubber thing I saw before, usually with coatings on equipment. I had test equipment before that was literarly covered with tar. I did not know what the hell was going on back then, so I actually asked the guy on ebay if he got it from a oil refinery. I thought it was tar that got covered with dust/dirt. I had NO idea that used to be a real coating at some point. It looked like someone pulled it out of a sewer. You could dig your fingers into it and basically expose clean aluminum. It was horrible.

[tooki]

I assume modern rubber has antioxidants in it that give it longer life?

I've seen no evidence of this, sadly. The rubber grips on my old Nikon D70s (bought in 2004 or 2005 IIRC) are starting to go gummy, for example. And the rubberized finish on my Microsoft bluetooth keyboard from around 2010 has degraded much worse, much faster. It's only not sticky because it's collected random dust and lint from being used on the sofa (it's for the Apple TV). So clearly there are huge differences in materials. :/

The rubber thing I saw before, usually with coatings on equipment. I had test equipment before that was literarly covered with tar. I did not know what the hell was going on back then, so I actually asked the guy on ebay if he got it from a oil refinery. I thought it was tar that got covered with dust/dirt. I had NO idea that used to be a real coating at some point. It looked like someone pulled it out of a sewer. You could dig your fingers into it and basically expose clean aluminum. It was horrible.

Oh yeah, I know exactly what you mean. I have an old Sony hi-fi system from around 1993 that had what was once a lovely rubberized finish. Now it's going gummy. (Not nearly as bad as the Microsoft keyboard, though!)

[PointyOintment]

I remember seeing YouTube videos about some mains wire that, over the years, would leach so much plasticizer that it would drip down the conduit and sometimes drip out of wall sockets/switches!! It would corrode the copper on the way, making it green. I think it was on JW’s channel, so I think UK, but I could be wrong.

Is that also what happens to MacBook power adapter cables around the MagSafe connector? Typically, the insulation frays where it bends, and then sometimes the coax shield underneath has turned green: https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Repairing+A+Frayed+Apple+MagSafe+Power+Adaptor+Wire/40150

The rubber thing I saw before, usually with coatings on equipment. I had test equipment before that was literarly covered with tar. I did not know what the hell was going on back then, so I actually asked the guy on ebay if he got it from a oil refinery. I thought it was tar that got covered with dust/dirt. I had NO idea that used to be a real coating at some point. It looked like someone pulled it out of a sewer. You could dig your fingers into it and basically expose clean aluminum. It was horrible.

I've found lots of old equipment (mostly Sun Microsystems) in electronics recycling bins where the rubber feet have turned into a sticky liquid. I also have a Krohn-Hite function generator that has rubber-coated case panels that are a bit sticky by now. Anybody know how to reverse these decays, or at least remove the decayed material?

[coppercone2]

I think I soaked mine in the goopy-methylene chloride stuff used for removing paint and then painted it with galvinized spray paint with some kind of nicer metallic top layer.

[tooki]

I remember seeing YouTube videos about some mains wire that, over the years, would leach so much plasticizer that it would drip down the conduit and sometimes drip out of wall sockets/switches!! It would corrode the copper on the way, making it green. I think it was on JW’s channel, so I think UK, but I could be wrong.

Is that also what happens to MacBook power adapter cables around the MagSafe connector? Typically, the insulation frays where it bends, and then sometimes the coax shield underneath has turned green: https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Repairing+A+Frayed+Apple+MagSafe+Power+Adaptor+Wire/40150

No. There’s no liquid of any kind oozing from those cables. The green is just oxidation of the wire where it’s come into contact with air and skin oils/sweat from using the damaged cable.

I’d love to know what those Apple cables are made out of. When Apple switched to “environmentally friendly” PVC-free data and power cables*, the longevity of the cables plummeted, because that jacket material is less flexible, so when it fails, it tends to shred into rubbery strands, and it seems to stretch over time. Those MagSafe cables fail precisely because the jacket has stretched so much that it’s appreciably longer than the cable it protects! (I’ve had one where the jacket grew so long that the shreds of failed jacket extended over the strain relief and base of the plug grip!)

*Except the AC mains cords. The PVC-free ones are much less compliant than the PVC versions (they want to bounce back to straight or very large coils), but have been holding up very well over time, whereas the PVC ones sometimes go sticky, presumably due to plasticizer migration.

I can also conclusively say it’s not silicone, because it melts under the head of a soldering iron.

Meanwhile, Apple’s PVC-free earbud wire is also a thermoplastic, but a different one. It fails not brittle, but with the same type of tacky feeling as silicone. If not for the fact that it melts, I would have said it looks and feels like silicone.

[ferdieCX]

I also have a Krohn-Hite function generator that has rubber-coated case panels that are a bit sticky by now. Anybody know how to reverse these decays, or at least remove the decayed material?

I had this issue with the top and bottom panels of a Philips PE1542 lab power supply.
IIRC, I removed the rubber material with isopropyl alcohol and then washed the panels with soap and water.
The panels where already mat black painted, so it was not necessary to repaint them.

Remember, that alcohol will almost for sure destroy any text or draw present in the panels.
 

[PointyOintment]

I’d love to know what those Apple cables are made out of. When Apple switched to “environmentally friendly” PVC-free data and power cables*, the longevity of the cables plummeted, because that jacket material is less flexible, so when it fails, it tends to shred into rubbery strands, and it seems to stretch over time. Those MagSafe cables fail precisely because the jacket has stretched so much that it’s appreciably longer than the cable it protects! (I’ve had one where the jacket grew so long that the shreds of failed jacket extended over the strain relief and base of the plug grip!)

Come to think of it, mine did that! It's been a long time since then (~2013) and I've been using my MacBook stationarily since then, so the replacement hasn't failed.

Meanwhile, Apple’s PVC-free earbud wire is also a thermoplastic, but a different one. It fails not brittle, but with the same type of tacky feeling as silicone. If not for the fact that it melts, I would have said it looks and feels like silicone.

I have a set of EarPods from 2013 (I think). Recently, every time I've taken them out of their case, I've found a clear liquid on the cables around the Y-joint, mainly on the thinner ones leading up to each earbud. It wipes off easily with a paper towel scrap soaked in hand sanitizer (which is really good at cleaning all sorts of gunk off of electronics, by the way). I don't know if this is something from the Y-joint, or my own doing: A year or two ago I ripped open the white part of the case (which is just two pieces of plastic glued together) to see how much space there would be inside for a Bluetooth audio receiver. I put some hot glue inside to hold it shut, because it wouldn't hold without glue. The hot glue ended up getting loose, so it's effectively hinged… I need to fix that better at some point. Anyway, when they're wrapped up, the Y-joint rests against where the hot glue is inside the two white parts of the case (not in contact, but on the opposite side of the seam), so it could conceivably be from either the Y-joint or the hot glue.

[theleakydiode]

This thread is very interesting, most of my alligator clip covers have turned hard over the years and so do all of my head phone cables.

I've heard the latter can be caused by certain skin oils which not everyone produces.

[Brumby]

I'll just add my 2 cents here by saying - Yep, seen this gooeyness many times.

[Mr. Scram]

I just had the same thing happening on exactly the same cheap type alligator clip leads. It's just cheap plastics venting or leaking rubbish. It's a good reminder why investing in more quality cables is worth it, as you don't want this eating into more valuable kit.

[coppercone2]

hmm good idea maybe to braid wires, if they deteriorate the braid will soak it up. Unless the braid deteriorates. Fiberglass braid

[Miyuki]

If we talking about wires and weird insulation materials

This "new bio degradable" stuff is great    Used in modern cars especially German made after 10-15 years look like this
I have same issue in one of my cars, only good thing if I want put cables to recycling center they are already bare copper 

[cdev]

Wash your hands after handling those weeping wires!

I would be willing to bet that the many chemicals in plastics, insulation, flame retardants, anti-stick coatings and similar products are behind the big increases in dozens of expensive diseases including at least a half dozen different kinds of cancers, we've seen rise over the past few decades, as well as large increases in morbid obesity. (They change the body's energy set points)

These so called 'endocrine disruptors'  persist in the environment and their measured levels in peoples bodies just keep on rising.

We're lucky that CRTs are no longer common- the combination of CRTs(heat) and the plastic cases exposed people who spent a lot of time around them to EDCs.