Hi there, Bob. My experience is that if you do what you did, the capacitor will=20 often eject the can from the remainder of the capacitor. Many years ago, one of my buddies worked at a shop that did car audio=20 device repairs. The most common failure they had at that time was a=20 10uF 25V capacitor. These failed by the dozens of non-working units - per = day! In the far corner of their shop was a ceiling-mounted PA horn that=20 was universally despised by everyone. My buddy took an old 24Vac 15=20 or 20 Amp transformer and attached sturdy wires with alligator=20 clips. He then set up a mickey-mouse mortar tube made of brass -=20 this was semi-fixed in place but adjustable. The tube was just=20 larger in diameter than these 10uF capacitors. 24 Vac with essentially an unlimited amount of current will cause=20 some very nice thermal events to small electrolytic=20 capacitors. Namely: a decently-loud BANG followed by the aluminum=20 case being ejected quite forcefully! Everyone took turns using this rig to fire defective capacitors at=20 that obnoxious PA speaker. Anyway, this has stuck in my mind for eons now. Bottom line: assume=20 that the can will be ejected should you do something really bad to=20 electrolytic capacitors! dwayne At 06:36 PM 2/25/2018, Bob Blick wrote: >By mistake I put an electrolytic capacitor in backwards. A very=20 >generic 100uF, 50V cap exposed to 16V with the equivalent of about=20 >700 ohms in series with it. It lasted about 30 minutes, then went=20 >off with a bang. You can maybe see the damaged heatshrink where the=20 >can hit an immovable object. > >Please note the scored cross on the top of the can. Isn't that=20 >supposed to split and protect me from its rapid self-disassembly?=20 >Yes, I was right there, close at hand, trying to figure out why all=20 >the voltages were wrong. Perhaps their die for the venting "X" was=20 >worn out after 20 million caps. I guess that's what I get when I pay=20 >USD 0.03 for caps off of Aliexpress instead of USD 0.11 at Digi-Key :) > >I guess I learned a lesson in false economy today. I didn't lose an=20 >eye, but I'm going to change my buying habits a little. Obviously I=20 >made a mistake putting the cap in wrong, but if I'd used a quality=20 >cap perhaps I'd have only been startled with a scary hiss instead of=20 >a projectile. Take heed! How many lives do you really have? > >Cheerful regards, > >Bob --=20 Dwayne Reid Trinity Electronics Systems Ltd Edmonton, AB, CANADA 780-489-3199 voice 780-487-6397 fax 888-489-3199 Toll Free www.trinity-electronics.com Custom Electronics Design and Manufacturing --=20 http://www.piclist.com/techref/piclist PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change your membership options at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist .