Carl, you might have your friend check for tantalum - a common electrode in some capacitors.? A more modern replacement for scarce tantalum is niobium.?A quick check says that both of these melt at over 4000 F.? ?Just a thought. 

Denny Fritz


-----Original Message-----
From: Carl VanWormer <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Mon, 16 Feb 2009 9:46 am
Subject: [TN] Capacitor construction - foil alloy question



This came from a friend, but I couldn't answer, so I thought of the TechNet 
search engine.  Can "you guys" suggest a source of information to answer this 
question?

I've got a strange situation. The contents of a steel enclosure were recovered 
after a large fire. The copper and brass components were melted and fused. BUT 
the spiral foil from a capacitor survived inside the same steel box. I ASSUMED 
it was aluminum which creates a nasty conundrum: copper melts at 1860F, Aluminum 
at 1180F. BUT I've been informed (to my chagrin) that "newer high quality" 
capacitors use a nickel chromium alloy foil - do you have any experience with 
this?? A quick Google search didn't turn up any immediately recognizable 
information...

Thanks,
Carl



Carl Van Wormer, P.E.
Senior Hardware Engineer
Cipher Systems
1800 NW 169th Place, Suite B-100
Beaverton, OR  97006
Cipher Systems (503) 617-7447   
Direct Line (503) 425-5163

This message may contain confidential and/or proprietary information, and is 
intended for the person/entity to whom it was originally addressed. Any use by 
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