Lenny,

If it looks like tar, and smells like tar can you hang it outside on a hot
sunny day and let it drip into an old coffee can [or a crack in the
pavement]?

Better yet, if you have a ventilated oven could you crank it up to about
35°C and suspend the unit over a catch pan of some kind.

Once you have the bulk of it is off, won't mineral spirits [or gasoline - I
know evil suggestion] dissolve the rest?  Cut off a piece with a razor
blade, put it in a jar and find out.

Otherwise, you can try http://www.dynaloy.com/ for a suggestion.

Steve

-----Original Message-----
From: TechNet [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Lenny Carter
Sent: Friday, May 29, 2009 1:59 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [TN] lighting ballast encapsulant removal

We have a lighting ballast in for failure analysis and arent sure how to get
the encapsulant "tar" from it?
This is a lighting ballast and we have the metal covers removed and are left
with a ballast assy built on a pcb, and covered in a thick,  black,
semi-pliable, tar-like encapsulant. 
The tar-like encapsualant smells just like roofing tar.  If you lay it on a
piece of notepaper it stains it just like roofing tar.  It can be peeled
away just like a roofing tar.  We are afraid of poking too much and damaging
components or circuits.  Anybody have experience with it? - and know what it
is?  and how to let it soak in a pan of something and rinse this stuff of
instead?  Better ideas?
Thanks in advance,
Lenny Carter
Design Engineer
ERG, Inc.
ph (607) 754-9187 x3063
www.ergpower.com

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