Re: NSTs & PCBs?!?

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "David Speck by way of Terry Fritz <teslalist-at-qwest-dot-net>" <dave-at-davidspeckmd-dot-org>

Steve,

PCB's are synthetic oily liquid compounds designed for their relative 
inertness and electrical insulating properties.

The asphalt used to pot NSTs is a natural byproduct of petroleum 
refining.  Asphalt contains significant quantities of potentially hazardous 
and carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic compounds, (PCAs, perhaps a cause of 
confusion) (tetramethyl chickenwire, as we used to call them in mass spec 
lab at Cornell) and prolonged contact with it shoud be avoided, though 
personally, I doubt that an occasional depotting session would get you in a 
lot of trouble.

I wouldn't use any oven, utensil, or container that was also used for food 
preparation -- unlikely anyway, 'cause of the residual stench. Petroleum 
refinery workers do have a somewhat higher lifetime risk of certain 
cancers, perhaps as a result of chronic PCA exposure.

HTH, Dave

Tesla list wrote:

>Original poster: "Steven Ward by way of Terry Fritz <teslalist-at-qwest-dot-net>" 
><srward16-at-hotmail-dot-com>
>
>Hi,
>
>does anyone know if PCBs were ever used in the tar potting of old neon 
>transformers???  When i picked up some NSTs today, the man at the sign 
>shop mentioned i probably should not try to depot them as there may be PCB 
>in the tar.  But now that i think about that, i would think they would 
>have to use better methods of sealing off the case of the NST, if that 
>were true (but then again, they didnt really think PCBs were bad at the 
>time of its use).
>So to make sure, did the use PCB??  It makes me worry when i think of all 
>the old transformers i unpotted!
>
>Steve Ward,
>
>PS, i hope im not setting off a false alarm. if so, sorry about that!
>
>PPS, is anyone else having a heck of a time getting NSTs???  The sign 
>shops dont want to give up the old ones, and say that the price of new 
>ones is sky rocketing.