On Wed, 31 Mar 2010 06:32:20 -0400 Meat Plow wrote in Message id:
:

On Wed, 31 Mar 2010 10:06:47 +0100, "N_Cook" wrote:

Anyone have a better knowledge of why fatty acids appear in circumstances
where high dielectric strength/ good insulation is needed. Hence the "fishy
smell" of physically broken/leaking electrolytic capacitors.
Possible candidates ( from Googling ie no specialised knowledge on this )
eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and degradation
product 2,4-heptadienal/2,4-hepadienal ?
, PETEP oil (Penta- Etythrite-Tetra Fatty Acid Polyester oil)

And in the case of rotted horse manure smell from some types of old
transformer windings perhaps Caproic Acid or Hexanoic acid giving that smell


Your interpretations of smells can be substantially different than
say, mine. When I smell the magic smoke, I don't think of farm animals
or a tuna boat, I think of #1 not smelling it at all because it's full
of caustic chemicals.

I don't think he's talking about smoke as much as he's referring to the
distinct smell of leaking electrolytics. I've got a section of test
equipment parts-mules (probably 150 different pieces or so. The smell down
that aisle is quite distinct! I'd say that "fishy" is as good a term as I
can think of.