Microwaves

[ScottyBoyBlue]

Hi all,
I have a couple of microwaves to ooen up. But just wanted to ask if it is considered safe to do so? I have never understood the process of how they work, and don't really want to expose myself to anything toxic.

[Bren gun21]

Hi and Welcome ScottyBoyBlue I am giving you a YouTube clip from Moose The Scrapper he's one of the better Scrappers on You Tube he will inform you of what not to touch especially for someone new to scrapping, there is two area's to be careful with they are the capacitor and the magnetron if you have one that has been recently used the capacitor need to be discharged by getting a screwdriver with an insulated handle and short out the two terminals and the other is the magnetron that is the square piece of aluminium with fins if you open that up for the magnets you need to be careful with the round piece in the middle, as on the end of it it has a coloured piece either white or pink do not scratch this or break it as there is a posinous substance within it and could be bad for your health if you take it easy you should not have a problem

your scrap yard should take it from you and give you something for it

watch the Vid if you can and Moose will point you in the right direction

https://youtu.be/OmE9QpALhpw

[WEEE Ben]

he doesn't mention anything about the magnetron aside from saying, when you pull that out you tape it
a newbie would not know what he's talking about, there's no need to pull it out at all, and if the ceramic is already cracked, tape won't save your life

[WEEE Ben]

Don't touch the magnetron at all, the ceramic could already of been cracked, just take the transformer, wires and board out and put the cover back on and your done.

[opygmy]

Hi all,
I have a couple of microwaves to ooen up. But just wanted to ask if it is considered safe to do so? I have never understood the process of how they work, and don't really want to expose myself to anything toxic.

.

This post may be deleted.
There is nothing dangerous in a microwave
I have processed about 3000 over 15 years with no capacitor shocks and not taking any precautions.
This originally was scare mongering by techs protecting there trade and still happens in other areas.
Regarding the magnetron, the hard as diamond ceramic insulator is harmless Aluminium oxide.
Beryllium oxide dust is deadly but is used in rocket engines and high performance microwave devices, not mere 1Kw domestic ovens.

I open up every magnetron to extract the Aluminium fins, but more importantly the copper cavity resonator , between 150gm and 220gm, at the heart of every magnetron.
.
The powerful pair of magnets are also handy.
Again fear mongering has condemned much waste metal to land fill.

If you visit a large scrap yard you will see giant machines shredding, crushing and dispersing scrap with the yard operators immune to any dust.

The toxins released into the atmosphere and drains during PM extraction are far more hazardous than imaginary microwave
dangers.

[WEEE Ben]

for 10c worth of copper it's best to leave them alone.
your wrong in saying that microwave magnetrons don't have berullium ceramic, perhaps look up manufacturers data.

you can do what you like but we prefer to be safe and it's best for newbies to just leave magnetrons alone, there's plenty money to be made from scrap without having to waste time on a very low value, potentially hazardous items, plenty magnets in hard drives

[ScottyBoyBlue]

Thank you both for your help. I have decided to not touch the microwaves.

[opygmy]

Thank you both for your help. I have decided to not touch the microwaves.

This is a shame that you have been scared off of touching microwaves at all, as there is so much of value inside apart from the disputed magnetron.
During these difficult times of plunging prices, every morsel of scrap is to be valued.

[ScottyBoyBlue]

I still have them, so will watch the video and go feom there.

[WEEE Ben]

Bring them over and i'll go through scrapping them with you, they are simple to scrap and you get a nice transformer.

[Okeden]

Just like opygmy, I have scrapped hundreds of them with no problems. Ben, I understand where you are coming from, and that is admirable, but the scaremongering suggestion from opygmy is very logical and acceptable. Scare tactics are used are, in fact, very good tactics to keep people away from things that other so called professionals believe are their domain and nobody else's. I do not for one minute suggest we go breaking the ceramic pieces that seem to subject of this debate, but the centre piece, in tact, is not a problem.

If I may diverge a little, many people wanting to get into processing eWaste are terrified by the notion of using Nitric Acid. Yes, Nitric Acid is very dangerous, but by displaying the appropriate safety measures, it is no more dangerous than driving a car - and that is saying something!.

Sorry, but I am not convinced that the removal of the magnetron is inherently dangerous in any way.

I can only suggest to Scotty, that you watch the video but then go and see Mr. Google, and study up on the units in question. Keep reading and keep learning. And when in doubt - don't. Just my thoughts.

[opygmy]

If there were a hazardous substance in sufficient quantities to injure us in a household appliance, then there would be a warning label and not be in a product / location to harm us.
I have never seen one.
The microwave workings are open to the air, the room, due to the fan drawing air from the outside and dispersing it throughout the workings.
As it is therefore not a sealed container, any particles from inside the workings will also enter the room.
It is not an airtight seal between the magnetron and the chassis.
Therefore any insulator dust produced by cracking etc would be dispersed throughout the room.
Also any scrapper or tech would also be potentially exposed just by the mere process of undoing the screws and peeling back the cover.

To now state the obvious, BeO is not used in domestic microwaves but AlO as it does the job at a 100th of the price with zero hazard.

[WEEE Ben]

No your still wrong, perhaps do your research before hand.
the ceramic is sealed within the magnetron, we are talking about opening the magnetron, not removing it from a microwave.
your argument doesn't make sense, why not go do some proper research or forget the subject but don't make false statements because that will confuse newbies.
it's best to be safe then sorry, so as I said, for 10c scrappers are best to leave the magnetron and sell it with the microwave as steel.

[opygmy]

Ceramic insulator is not sealed as that area has visible holes.
There is no airtight seal, why should there be as there is nothing physical to protect against.
When the magnetron is removed the ceramic insulator is visible as it seperates the antenna from the resonator.
The insulator is not inside the Copper cavity resonator.

I have done research and no Be is present in a domestic microwave.
Why perpetuate a myth just to have the final word.

[WEEE Ben]

Because I can

Well then show us this research or a document stating there's no Beryllium in magnetrons, i'm intrigued.
it's just like your argument about no beryllium in thermal paste, both are wrong as there's Beryllium in both, maybe there's alternatives but who's to know which one you got?

[opygmy]

www.seek-it.co.uk/sitedocs/weee_aft/weeehazwastedefra2.pdf ( towards the end )
If this link fails google WEEE and hazardous waste part 2
This 2006 result at appendix 2 shows that Be presence in DOMESTIC magnetrons was below limits of detection LOD.
It's towards the end : Appendix 2
Analysis Results on Magnetrons
As with thermal paste and these 1kw domestic ovens, we are talking about the cheapest possible solution.
We are not scrapping airport radar systems or a rocket engine where Be is used, but literally throwaway items where the cheapest quickest made material is used.
Just as with steel rods in printers, these are made from what 94% of all machined steel is made from: leaded steel (now replaced by tin) to be the quickest cheapest way
to mass produce machined steel. Not stainless or chromed but cheap solution.
:
.

[WEEE Ben]

Let me think about, trying to come up with something good for my final word.

[technoir]

www.seek-it.co.uk/sitedocs/weee_aft/weeehazwastedefra2.pdf ( towards the end )
If this link fails google WEEE and hazardous waste part 2
This 2006 result at appendix 2 shows that Be presence in DOMESTIC magnetrons was below limits of detection LOD.
It's towards the end : Appendix 2
Analysis Results on Magnetrons
As with thermal paste and these 1kw domestic ovens, we are talking about the cheapest possible solution.
We are not scrapping airport radar systems or a rocket engine where Be is used, but literally throwaway items where the cheapest quickest made material is used.
Just as with steel rods in printers, these are made from what 94% of all machined steel is made from: leaded steel (now replaced by tin) to be the quickest cheapest way
to mass produce machined steel. Not stainless or chromed but cheap solution.
:
.

Thanks for the link to that document, interesting stuff.