[kwlug-disc] The sweet(?) smell of power supplies

[Andrew Kohlsmith (mailing lists account)]

On Apr 5, 2014, at 4:19 PM, Gordon Dey <gordon.dey at happydeys.ca> wrote:
> On 14-04-05 03:58 PM, rbclemen at gmail.com wrote:
>> The odors are likely the chemicals used to wash the PCBs at the end
>> of the manufacturing process. Easiest solution would be to buy one
>> and use it not in their presence for a while until it evaporates
>> away.
> 
> I was going to suggest something similar; an etch chemical sensitivity.
> 
> That being said, I wonder if a suitable supply could be carefully
> dissected and re-washed using something like RO water until the
> chemical traces were gone? Would that work for you two?

The chemicals used to etch the boards are long, long gone before the parts are ever installed on the boards. I also strongly suspect that the chemicals used to wash a PCB are gone during the initial burn in/testing that equipment usually gets. I know that the wash used at Car-San is completely gone as they are chemically washed, drained and then run through a plain-old reverse-osmosis water only wash before they are tested/final inspect done.

-A.