sodium_stearate
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The old aspirin trick
Many years ago I learned a neat trick for very easily and quickly
stripping off the enamel from an enameled magnet wire.
Take an aspirin tablet, place it on a suitable surface such as a scrap of wood.
Lay the enameled wire on the aspirin. Heat both from the top, pressing
gently down, using a hot soldering iron. The aspirin turns brown and starts
bubbling as the enamel burns off of the wire. The result is a very clean
bright bare copper wire, and a somewhat melted brown remaining portion
of the aspirin tab.
Great useful technique when one needs cleanly stripped enameled wire
ends. Now for the chemistry question: What is going on there?
Why does this work so well to eliminate the enamel that was on the wire?
"Opportunity is missed by most people
because it is dressed in overalls and it
looks like work" T.A. Edison
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Twospoons
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What kind of enameled wire? Urethane or polyimide?
Helicopter: "helico" -> spiral, "pter" -> with wings
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sodium_stearate
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The old aspirin trick
The kind of enameled wire that is coated with an insulating layer.
That's what kind it is.
As for the chemical makeup of this enamel layer, your guess is as good as mine.
[Edited on 14-9-2022 by sodium_stearate]
"Opportunity is missed by most people
because it is dressed in overalls and it
looks like work" T.A. Edison
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njl
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Either way, the aspirin might be doing a couple things. One is melting and forming a protective layer around the copper so it can be heated without
oxygen. It might also be reacting with oxygen or formed copper oxide, itself being oxidized in the process. If that cant prevent oxide formation, it
might also be acidic enough to remove the oxide that forms on the copper and leave a shiny surface.
Reflux condenser?? I barely know her!
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Deathunter88
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It is probably forming phenol which is known to be exceptional at removing urethane coatings. See: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/am/pii/S030094...
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Twospoons
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Urethane coatings melt at soldering temperatures, polyimides don't. Pretty easy to tell them apart.
Helicopter: "helico" -> spiral, "pter" -> with wings
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Rainwater
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Nylon 6/6
Polyurethane
Attachment: Nysol Safety Data Sheet.pdf (146kB)
This file has been downloaded 6 times
"You can't do that" - challenge accepted
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Fulmen
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As I understand it the PU coatings are the cheapest and usually "good enough". It's also pretty much "self fluxing", at least on the smaller wire
diameters.
We're not banging rocks together here. We know how to put a man back together.
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