What happened here?

https://ibb.co/JpGyTwH

This is a Rhodium connector. Pulled the plug out to rewire and this looks like brown dust in one side of the plug. Rust?

tom201506-05-2021 7:45pm

jea48 Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 4,559 posts 06-06-2021 at 02:32pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete Kind of looks like maybe some type of contact treatment/enhancer was sprayed into the contact body. Maybe the stuff has gone bad, deteriorated . What piece of equipment was the IEC connector used on? Maybe a power amp? Poor contact pressure will cause heat and maybe heat caused the contact treatment/enhancer to breakdown causing the discoloration inside the connector body. .
tom2015 OP Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 102 posts 06-06-2021 at 11:03pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete It was connected to the amp.
fiesta75 Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 1,378 posts 06-06-2021 at 11:42pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete jea48 - Plausible. Looks like an inferior connector, maybe defective from the start. My suggestion, don't use Rhodium ever for hi-fi. Silver all the way is so much better.