a stolen recipe for such a water-based electrolyte, in which important stabilizing substances were absent, led in the years 1999 through at least 2010 to the widespread problem of "bad caps" (failing electrolytic capacitors), leaking or occasionally bursting in computers, power supplies, and other electronic equipment, which became known as the "capacitor plague". in these e-caps the water reacts quite aggressively with aluminum, accompanied by strong heat and gas development in the capacitor, resulting in premature equipment failure—and development of a cottage repair industry.