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Insulation green stuff
3

Insulation green stuff

Insulation green stuff

(OP)
I have a significant number of control cable wires.  Standard gray control switch wiring #8 and #10 that is oozing a green sticky substance.  It has no odor.  Has anyone seen this before or know what it is?

RE: Insulation green stuff

Never heard of it.  

I think you may get more responses in the electric power engineering forum.

RE: Insulation green stuff

Posting a couple pictures wouldn't hurt either.

RE: Insulation green stuff


Long Shot — “Green-goo ooze” is a slang term for electroendosmosis, which is mentioned in an NEC fine-print note.  For it to occur, though, there has to be DC potential, moisture and thermoplastic {e.g., PVC} insulation.

99NEC310-13. FPN: Thermoplastic insulation, where used on dc circuits in wet locations, may result in electroendosmosis between conductor and insulation.
  

RE: Insulation green stuff

Suggestion: Visit
http://www.edstubbs.com/id22.htm
for:
Thermoplastic insulation, where used on dc circuits in wet locations, may result in electroendosmosis between conductor and insulation.
(under "Stranded or Solid Conductors on DC circuits 6/30/02")

RE: Insulation green stuff

I have seen this in older power plants on 125 vDC circuits as mentioned by busbar and jbartos -- as their explanations imply, it is a chemical reaction with the copper (the source of the green color -- my chemistry fails me but I think it's a reaction with the chlorine products in the insulation as a result of the DC in the presence of moisture)...  as I recall, it is also slightly acidic...

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