Sweating Plastic

Do any of you have experience of plastics exuding liquid? I moved the TV yesterday to do some work on the wall behind it and found my hands were wet with a brown sticky liquid a bit like spilt Coke. Thinking is was Coke I removed the rear casing from the TV and washed it with water/bathroom cleaner, rinsed it and left it to dry overnight. This morning I found the "Coke" stains had returned and it was sweating from what appear to be blisters in the material, both inside and outside surfaces are affected. I suspect that Tesco will not want to know now that the set is 5/6 years old. Could it be dangerous/toxic ?

Nathan.

I can't say it should do that. Trouble is, if this is a casing of sorts could it be whatever is inside it leaking? I would definitely proceed with a bit of caution that it is probably an irritant or poisonous. Either that or someone spilt some food/drink stuffs behind the TV set and didn't tell you about it? 

Michael W

Edited By Michael Walters on 11/09/2016 11:32:56

The only things I can think of with part-liquid content are electrolytic capacitors, the often black, tubby things mounted upright on the circuit board. Or an LCD display, but that should be colourless. Either way, something appears to be faulty.

Geoff

On the other hand, if you find something like marzipan, wrapped in paper tube and sweating, RUN!

If you live in a houseful of kids it's probbly something they did

If not then sounds very spooky

Michael W, It contains nothing and is "just" the rear cover for the TV.

Geoff, Nothing exuding from any of the circuit boards in fact there is no sign of any staining or liquid anywhere apart from this cover .

It's not food or drink of any type, could the plastic be breaking down? Nathan.

No sweaty plastic explosive or kids!

Can we get a picture, please? It's hard to go by the description alone as to what it could be.

Michael W

There was an occasion in the sixties when cable manufacturers tried to cut costs and changed the formulation of the PVC sheath and substituted alternatives for the plasticisers in PVC. Over a period of time these plasticisers started to leech out of the PVC and formed a sticky deposit at cable ends etc. This was sorted by the seventies so should not be a problem now unless they are trying it again (possible low grade cables used?). PVC plasticisers are palates and are not particularly harmful unless digested. In the sixties it was generally called "green goo" and I have come across it a few times. It is a sticky deposit the never gets fully solid even if left for some time.

Don't know if this is similar to what you are finding.

Cheers Steve

If it was just on the outside I would have suggested it could have come into contact with some form of spray (polish / air freshener / insect killer ...) which had reacted with the plastic.

The likes of padded car dashboards and flexible cable can exude plasticiser, but I've never seen it on a TV case and would wonder why they would be needed on something that should be rigid? Plasticisers work by preventing full bonding between molecules of the base plastic, and the un-anchored plasticiser molecules can migrate to the surface, especially under heat. Plasticisers contributed to the 'new car' smell in the 70s/80s; and can also the reason that flexible cables left undisturbed for years have a coating of grime - nothing to do with static but that the dust sticks to the film of exuded plasticiser.

If it was exuding like plasticiser, I think it would just be a surface film rather than the blisters you describe - that sounds more like a manufacturing defect - maybe the back was laid up from an impregnated mat but the materials weren't properly prepared or processed.

I would suggest it would still be worth contacting the vendors as there might be a latent defect which is emerging which they might already know about and/or might wish to investigate.

Regarding 'could it be dangerous or toxic' I would suggest treat it discretion until you know otherwise.

have you checked the ceiling above the set. I may be the corpse of the wife you hid under the bedroom floorboards.

Oops autocorrection is a pain.

Palates should read pthalates

I also have experienced this problem but with a set of Snap-On guaranteed for life screwdrivers. I bought set of Phillips and a set of plain blades screwdrivers around early 1970's. About three or four years ago I noticed that some of the screwdrivers had started to bubble and shrink and a clearish liquid was being exuded by the handle. Cleaned it all off checked nothing had been dropped in toolbox (Snap-On with lined drawers), which it hadn't. Gradually both of the two sets have succumbed to this problem.. Have tried to get the Snap-On rep to have a look but failing so far. They are only 45 years or so old, they should have outlasted me.

Colin

I wonder if it could have been caused by condensation? If the wall is cold and uninsulated (which they often are) and the back of the TV is close and not well ventilated (which ditto), this could have caused damp to accumulate on and within the back plate. Especially if it is some sort of compressed hardboard stuff (which my mate calls 'vulcanised kipper). Just a possibility.

Cheers, Tim

Many of my Snap-on screwdrivers bought around that time have done this as well. For such expensive products this shouldn't have happened. It's a horrible acrid liquid they give off as well.

Vic,

That's interesting, I think I will try and chase the Snap-On man again. He did give me part numbers of the handles, then went on holiday and never got back in touch with me. Knowing someone else has had the same problem has given me incentive to chase hi,

Colin

The Flat and Philips have black handles which are the worst but some of the red Pozidrive leak as well. As far as I can tell there are only a few different handle sizes so if you get part numbers let me know. I doubt I'll find a Snap-On man willing to swap them but you never know.

Double post. Shame this forum software doesn't allow you to delete a post like some others do. 

Edited By Vic on 11/09/2016 16:57:22

I have the same problem with some Stanley Screwdrivers dated from a similar era. These ones have a yellow plastic handle emitting some sort of liquid, but I thought it was my imagination....

Pete

Just wondering if there is any manufacturing information marked on the case that might identify the plastic? It might be biodegradable, or something like that.

Some plastics are easily damaged by solvents but if that's the cause you seem to have an extreme example. Perhaps something went wrong during manufacture and the plastic is decomposing prematurely. I've no idea if it's dangerous or not.

My kids took 20 years to confess they were responsible for the mystery of the melted polyester carpet. Aged 7 and 9 their angelic denials had me conned completely.

Dave