That might work, but if the ballast is there for failure analysis, too 
harsh a solvent may remove other things of interest in the analysis. 

Lenny, do you have access to oxygen plasma in your facility?  In our FA 
labs here, we often use oxygen plasma to turn organic material to ash, 
preserving the internal dies and wire bonds.

Doug Pauls
Rockwell Collins



Steven Creswick <[log in to unmask]> 
Sent by: TechNet <[log in to unmask]>
05/29/2009 01:22 PM
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Steven Creswick <[log in to unmask]>


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Subject
Re: [TN] lighting ballast encapsulant removal






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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