I've recycled the nichrome wire/element from a couple hair dryers and hot hair curler station for use in a 3d printer project. All of the houshd items have an unusual heat proof material supporting the heater wire. It is very thin, almost feels like a stiff cardboard, but doesn't have any layers and light can be seen through it. Has a silver, mother-of-pearl type finish.
It doesn't seem to burn since it holds red hot nichrome wire. I just want to make sure it is not asbestos or something. Does anyone know what it is?
Yep, they are already using Mica for ages. I still can remember my parents very first toaster. After his death I disassembled it and found those Mica plates (i did not know at that time but my dad told me since he’s an electrician and know that material very well) in it.
I am leaning towards it being Mica as well… I thought they discontinued asbestos back in the 1950s or something that long ago. I did a little research and found it was in common U.S. household hairdryers. It wasn’t stopped until 1980 when most hair dryers had dangerous levels. As I recall, big blown hair was all the rage.
Surprisingly it is still in household item like baby talc powders. Gonna be a little more cautious opening some equipment if it’s antique.
It is estimated that at one point, up to five million asbestos-containing hand-held dryers were in circulation. These dryers came from several different manufacturers, including Conair and Remington, and they made up approximately 90 percent of all annual domestic hairdryer sales. In 1979, when the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission found that dryers from 11 major brands contained dangerous amounts of asbestos, each of the manufacturers issued a voluntary refund and return policy for the contaminated equipment. They all then discontinued production of asbestos-insulated dryers.
…One 2006 survey found that approximately 25 percent of hood-style hairdryers in U.K. salons were older models that contained asbestos.
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Think I’m safe, but still not sure what to look out for.
