I've noticed that a couple of bits of my car seem to be undergoing some kind of chemical change.
The volume control on the radio and the door of the glove box are slightly tacky to the touch.
Having seen what happens to the drive belts of film projectors and the seals of old cameras when the rubber perishes, I'd like to stop this process before it goes any further.
What's actually going on, and what might help retard it?
Daniele
You can't do much to slow it down as environmental as factors like UV and ozone are mainly responsible for causing the rubbery plastic to depolymerise. My Psion3 failed exactly the same way - ultimately the plastic turned into black goo which dripped off like potty putty.
Best bet is to apply something inert and powdery to soak up the tackiness or overcoat it with something that isn't tacky at all. I have never found a satisfactory solution to the demise of such plastics.
Replacing the failing parts with new ones might be the best bet.
D.M. Procida spake thus:
I had this happen with a steering wheel. Horrible to touch, and left me with black hands!
Problem stopped when I sold the car :-)
You could try something like Holts rubber and nylon lubricant to see if that helps, that's just a suggestion though and I suspect you'll have to get new switches as Martin suggested.
It's called 'rubber rust'. There's nothing you can do about it.
Bill
Dunno but I've had it happen to tape recorder belts, white cane handles and a pressure roller in a tape deck, in the latter case the eventual result was one morning a pile of goo in the machine and just the metal centre on the spindle.
Brian
Not sure what these are made of, I'd have said rubber, but I suppose there are these days so many inbetweeny type materials its had to classify. Obviously some kind of bonding is involved that comes unbonded at the molecular level.
Brian
Latest is the grippy bit of my electric toothbrush. Not sure how old it is but the rechargeable battery only now lasts hours intead of days
In message , Brian Gaff writes
Same thing happened to the seed metering/dispensers on a range of agricultural seed drills:-(
They seemed to last about 10 years before metamorphosing to a pile of mush:-(
Set for my drill was about £400!
BTDT, many a time:
cheers
Jules
I think that we're paying for the recent mania for soft-touch plastics all over the place.
Daniele
I actually had a pair of shoes do this. the soles were supposed to be made of a special advanced composite for better grip.. Well I guess if its sticky they were right about hat! Brian
In message , Brian Gaff writes
Likewise. Early '70's pair of suede *brothel creepers*.
I had been down on the shop floor doing some tests for residual magnetism in a bearing component (magnetic chuck followed by tunnel de-magnetiser) when I was called to give a report to assembled managers in the conference room.
After the meeting my boss invited me to go and clean up the floor where I had been sitting! Lubricating oil had destroyed the soles of my shoes.
Around that time, it was discovered that the air line oil used to lubricate pneumatic cylinders interfered with the piston seals which all had to be changed to a *high nitrile* version.
Rather makes you wonder what the oil did to your lungs!
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