A High-Current Capacitor Short Can Destroy the Evidence of Its Own Initiation

What the evidence preview establishes

The capacitor shorted and drew sufficient current to fuse its silver electrodes and dielectric, destroying most evidence of the initiating defect. An intact comparison capacitor showed no manufacturing anomaly, leaving adhesive stress and rapid low-temperature surge heating as plausible but unproven hypotheses.

Why this case matters

Current limiting and event detection can preserve root-cause evidence during qualification. When destructive shorts erase the initiation site, conclusions should separate demonstrated failure progression from proposed triggers.