Icky-pick or icky-pic is a gelatinous
cable compound used in outdoor-rated
communications cables, including both
twisted-pair copper cabling and
fiber-optic cabling.
"PIC" is the abbreviation for "plastic insulated cable". The cable is filled with an "icky" substance. The
filled cable In telecommunication, a filled cable is a cable that has a non-hygroscopic material, usually a gel called icky-pick, inside the jacket or sheath. The nonhygroscopic material fills the spaces between the interior parts of the cable, preventing moi ...
itself, therefore, is called an "icky PIC".
Icky-pick has two primary functions:
* Deter animals from biting and damaging the cable due to the smell and taste of the gel
* Seal any nick or gash in the outer jacket if they do bite it, preventing water from entering the cable and damaging it by corrosion and freeze expansion
The actual icky-pick compound is a very thick
petroleum
Petroleum, also known as crude oil, or simply oil, is a naturally occurring yellowish-black liquid mixture of mainly hydrocarbons, and is found in geological formations. The name ''petroleum'' covers both naturally occurring unprocessed crud ...
-based substance e.g.
petroleum jelly, and is only rated for outdoor use, frequently
direct-buried in the ground. An outdoor cable spliced onto an indoor terminal block is prone to leak the gelatin, hence in many situations the icky-pic cable is spliced outside the building to a short run of normal cable which runs through a protective
conduit
Conduit may refer to:
Engineering systems
* Conduit (fluid conveyance), a pipe suitable for carrying either open-channel or pressurized liquids
* Electrical conduit, a protective cover, tube or piping system for electric cables
* Conduit curre ...
into the building. The thick gel stains clothing and hands and is very difficult to remove.
When fiber-optic cables are to be spliced, the gel must be removed with solvents and swabs to prevent fouling of the splice.
Paint thinner
A paint thinner is a solvent used to thin oil-based paints. Solvents labeled "paint thinner" are usually mineral spirits having a flash point at about 40 °C (104 °F), the same as some popular brands of charcoal starter.
Common solv ...
or charcoal starter is a frequently used and commonly available remover and clean-up agent.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Icky-Pick
Petroleum products
Signal cables