Electric cables and dirt

[Beerhippie]

What is it with electrical cables and the dirt and filth that are always on them?

I've been running a bunch of CAT6 cable the last few weeks. Even in the sealed box, it's every bit as filthy as any cable I've pulled!

Is there a machine in the factory that adds the dirt? Do they have standards for the amount of grime?

"Hey, Joe--Check the calibration on the filther on line 7, 12 AWG THNN. QC reports tests are showing less than 0.8 g per meter of grime. NEC says it should be between 1.6 and 2.4 g/meter."

 

[Bert_]

Never had that problem

 

[bronc076]

The electrons travel on the outside of the wire and they leave tire marks!

 

[RPH]

The electrons travel on the outside of the wire and they leave skid marks!

Fixed it.

 

[Debcrow]

It's not the Positive you are seeing, it is the Negative side effects...
I have never noticed this problem.

 

[LopezBart]

I don't see this on new cables... but like air hoses, they do seem to attract dirt and grime once in use.

 

[sparky 1971]

Ii can't say I've ever had brand new cables that were dirty out of the package.

 

[P0234]

I was going to ask if you shopped at my local home depot but I see we are in different states. My electrical section is near the outdoor garden area. Everything in that section has about 1/4" of filth on it, its really nasty. I had to ask for some wipes as I didn't want to put a box in my car.

 

[Yankeefarmer]

I was going to ask if you shopped at my local home depot but I see we are in different states. My electrical section is near the outdoor garden area. Everything in that section has about 1/4" of filth on it, its really nasty. I had to ask for some wipes as I didn't want to put a box in my car.

You left out the most important part of the story. . Did they help out with wipes?

 

[P0234]

You left out the most important part of the story. . Did they help out with wipes?

Yeah, they actually did. Guy cleaned the package for me!

 

[bwringer]

You're using CAT6 for electrical cables? The NEMA nerds are going to roast you alive...


But anyway, I've sometimes noticed there's some sort of mold release or similar on a lot of network and power wire and cabling, and it seems to do a great job attracting filth. Most of the time it comes out of the packaging pretty clean though.

 

[AffableCurmudgeon]

What is it with electrical cables and the dirt and filth that are always on them?

The Accumulation Theory of Conductive Residue (ATCR) posits that during the manufacturing process of electrical cables and wires, a phenomenon known as Electrostatic Adsorption occurs. This is where the surface electrons of the cables generate a static electric field. This field exhibits a magnet-like effect, albeit on a microscopic scale, attracting particulate matter from the surrounding environment.

The process begins in the extrusion phase, where the wire is coated with an insulating material. The friction between the insulating material and the extrusion machinery generates a triboelectric charge. This charge is not immediately neutralized due to the high-resistance surface of the insulating material, which prevents the easy flow of electrons.

As the newly manufactured cables are spooled, the triboelectric charge persists, creating an invisible electrostatic envelope around the cable. This envelope acts like a dust magnet, pulling in particles from the manufacturing environment, which predominantly contains metallic dust, carbon particles, and industrial polymers. These particles are so small that they are often not visible to the naked eye until they accumulate in larger quantities.

Moreover, the Van der Waals force, a type of intermolecular force, further contributes to the adhesion of these particles to the cable’s surface. The polarization of the particles and the surface of the cable creates a temporary bond, similar to how geckos adhere to walls.

In addition, the Coriolis effect within the factory, caused by the Earth’s rotation, can cause a microscopic cyclonic action in the air, which increases the likelihood of particles being swept up and deposited onto the cables.

Of course, none of this is even remotely true, but sounds like a great explanation, doesn't it.

 

[TurnipTruck]

“Filther” I love it!