Oil filled paper caps and PCBs

[jeyurkon]

What are the chances that an oil impregnated paper cap made in 1949 or earlier would have PCB? I have one that has leaked and I need to clean it up. I'm wondering how careful I need to be.

I think they first started using PCB in oil impregnated caps in the 50s.

John

[Old1625]

Compared to what General Electric is having to clean up in Pittsfield in PCB deposits they've made--and costing them billions of dollars these past years--you are in the bush league with the paltry amt you are disposing.

But who wants to touch this one in giving advice...?

OK: Let me put it this way....

When I lived in FL as a kid we had a lot of trouble with alligators in our lake.

There were a lot of rules and regs regarding how these dangerous beasts could be handled, as they at the time were "protected" by the feds.

And such appointed agents when asked to deal with the handling of 12-foot alligators that were on recreational lakes around which there were residential abodes with small children... These federal blokes would meet in the local tavern to "map out their stragety" so to speak...And in the aggregate it seemed that they had decided for us not to contact them any further about this matter, and they promised they would let us know when the problem was solved....

The solution was the "3S" one: Shoot. Shovel. Shut up! This done by an irate neighbor on the lake, the 12 foot alligator problem was over--once, and for all. And his freezer was augmented considerably with meat for the coming months....

I will leave the rest to your imagination....

[bgadow]

From what I've read those type of caps were fine; they only used PCB's in caps that ran at higher temps. I suspect they would have been wasted in an application like this. That's just what I've pieced together, though.

[Phil Nelson]

Do you mean a paper cap with a tubular cardboard case, or one with a sealed metal "bathtub" case?

Phil Nelson

[Old1625]

I may be mistaken, but I think that polychorinated biphenyls were used mostly in metal contained components such as "bathtub" and other metal-encased capacitors, and also some encased transformers.

But truth told--even if the juice of any ruptured or vented capacitor in a set is not PCB-based--you might still consider it unfit to use as an ingredient in your salad dressing, and none of these capacitors really are good for the safety and quality of the aquifer if tossed in the landfill....

Just my twopence....

But I admire your conscientiousness, jeyurkon.