From: "Dr. Barry L. Ornitz" <ornitz@usa.net>
Newsgroups: rec.antiques.radio+phono
Subject: Re: cleaning power-cord plugs (and related things)
Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2001 00:03:18 -0500

"wa2ise" <wa2ise@my-deja.com> wrote in message
news:94i1aa$2lu$1@nnrp1.deja.com...
>
> What's that green jelly crap I sometimes see on power
> plugs and cheater cords?

It is plasticizer from the polyvinyl chloride mixed with few
copper corrosion products.

This plasticizer is also what causes your windshield to fog
over in the summer sun as the plasticizer evaporates from
the vinyl in the car and condenses on the windshield.  The
loss of plasticizer from the vinyl is what causes it to get
hard and shrink and crack as it gets older.  A common
plasticizer is dioctyl phthalate, although many more are
also used.

Acetone, followed by isopropyl alcohol, followed by Windex
is a good way to remove it from your windshield.  Be careful
about the flammability of the solvents.


        Dr. Barry L. Ornitz     WA4VZQ     ornitz@usa.net