Dirty Money
Kirt's Cogitations™ #121

RF Cafe University"Factoids," "Kirt's Cogitations," and "Tech Topics Smorgasbord" are all manifestations of my ranting on various subjects relevant (usually) to the overall RF Cafe theme. All may be accessed on these pages:

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Dirty Money

Filthy lucre takes on a whole new meaning with the new 1-euro and 2-euro coins. A recent study concludes that the coins release up to 320 times as much nickel as European standards permit for prolonged contact with the metal - a common skin allergen. The culprit is the anodic action between the coin's double nickel alloy construction. A 40 mA current flows between the two alloys at the interface. "It's like a mini-battery," said one investigator. The current leads to corrosion and the release of nickel ions. Job Announcement: The E.U. is in desperate need of a junior level college chemistry major to consult before settling on the design of the new euro coins.