Dektol & plastic ?

Calamity Jane · Jun 5, 2005

Has anyone had a problem with Dektol eating away a plastic storage jug?

I had a big jug of Dektol under the bench that I should have discarded months ago. Today I discovered the jug was leaking and the Dektol had eaten into the tiles under it.

I never had trouble with Dektol in plastic before. Maybe the jug let go, but seeing the way Dektol ate into the tiles, I am wondering if it ate a hole in the jug.

Nige · Jun 6, 2005

I had some in a 2lt plastic bottle (was Apple juice I believe... labels were removed) for several years... and it was ok, the the Dektol just kept getting darker!

Donald Qualls · Jun 7, 2005

I've never heard of Dektol reacting with plastic (though the accordion bottles are known to be excessively permeable for developer storage anyway). Much less have I heard of Dektol eating into flooring tiles! Are you sure that was Dektol and not a sodium hydroxide stock solution or similar?

Dektol has carbonate alkali, as I recall, so it's not alkaline enough to do much even in stock solution (or even if you mix your stock solution in a lot less water than the package calls for, as some folks do); I wouldn't expect it to attack even marble tile, much less plastic or rubber (and if you have something attacking ceramic tile, call a Hazmat team ASAP).

Keith Tapscott. · Jun 15, 2005

Calamity Jane said:
Has anyone had a problem with Dektol eating away a plastic storage jug?

I had a big jug of Dektol under the bench that I should have discarded months ago. Today I discovered the jug was leaking and the Dektol had eaten into the tiles under it.

I never had trouble with Dektol in plastic before. Maybe the jug let go, but seeing the way Dektol ate into the tiles, I am wondering if it ate a hole in the jug.

Developers like D-76 and Dektol, are best kept in brimful brown glass bottles that are well stoppered. Used medicine bottles with child proof caps are ideal, so don`t discard them. Make sure the bottles are clearly labelled too.
Plastic storage jugs? UGH!

dancqu · Jun 15, 2005

Keith Tapscott. said:
Developers like D-76 and Dektol, are best kept in brimful
brown glass bottles that are well stoppered.
Plastic storage jugs? UGH!

I'll second that. Be sure they have the Polycone or Polyseal
Caps; the most sure way to seal. Tri Ess Sciences did sell
those amber Boston Rounds and a nice selection of caps.
Alas they have gone out of business. Chalk one up for
free lunch crowd. Dan

Ian Grant · Jun 15, 2005

It's the jug thats perished.

Some plastics perish naturally others are designed to be biodegradeable, highly unlikely to have been the Dektol

Ian

Peter Rockstroh · Jun 15, 2005

Some plastics display surface tension stress when in contact with certain tensoactive ingredients, alcohols and other chemicals. This surface interaction with these chemicals leads to premature ageing of the polymer and surface cracks. As these cracks progress, the bottles start to leak. Depending on the plastic, different products may cause this undesirable effect. It usually shows up when someone pours something into a container which the container´s manufacturer never considered when testing the bottle (like Dektol into an apple juice bottle).
I work with the plastics industry. I always use brown glass bottles.

Ian Grant · Jun 15, 2005

Yes you're possibly right but Dektol will only aggrevate this in a plastic not designed for a reasonable life span and not one made for storing photographic chemicals, particularly as chemicals are usually stored in low light lvels.

I have seen plenty of plastic measuring jugs fail, I'm still using plastic bottles Ilford, May & Baker, Johnsons etc some of which must be 30+ years old, I've never had one fail.

More importantly it's the type of plastic used, and how it's stored.

Ian

Peter Rockstroh said:
Some plastics display surface tension stress when in contact with certain tensoactive ingredients, alcohols and other chemicals. This surface interaction with these chemicals leads to premature ageing of the polymer and surface cracks. As these cracks progress, the bottles start to leak. Depending on the plastic, different products may cause this undesirable effect. It usually shows up when someone pours something into a container which the container´s manufacturer never considered when testing the bottle (like Dektol into an apple juice bottle).
I work with the plastics industry. I always use brown glass bottles.

srs5694 · Jun 16, 2005

FWIW, I've got a couple of relevant bookmarks. First, some information on plastics for storing developers. I'm not really qualified to offer an opinion on this information, but it seemed credible when I read it. Second, Specialty Bottle, a supplier of bottles. I've never actually ordered from them, but they seemed to have a good selection.

FWIW, I've been using ~1l glass IBC root beer bottles whenever I make more than 1l of solution and then splitting that into smaller glass bottles whenever I open one of them.

Peter Rockstroh · Jun 16, 2005

Ian Grant said:
Yes you're possibly right but Dektol will only aggrevate this in a plastic not designed for a reasonable life span and not one made for storing photographic chemicals, particularly as chemicals are usually stored in low light lvels.

I have seen plenty of plastic measuring jugs fail, I'm still using plastic bottles Ilford, May & Baker, Johnsons etc some of which must be 30+ years old, I've never had one fail.

More importantly it's the type of plastic used, and how it's stored.

Ian

Ian,

You made a good point. I spoke with some plastic suppliers and all agreed that 30 years ago, since resins were so much cheaper, manufacturers used much better materials and, also used additives to improve the quality of their bottles. Contemporary manufacturers unfortunately don´t adhere to that business philosophy anymore.

Ronald Moravec · Jun 16, 2005

I bought from Specialty Bottle. Get 2 caps per bottle as the caps break on occasion. The bottles are more durable. Their caps as all others are plastic, but they are cheap. As some else said, get the cone type seal caps and clean the INSIDE lip before tightening.

aoresteen · Jun 16, 2005

If it was a milk jug, yes I had that happen to me about 8 years ago. I switched to 1 gal Gatorade & apple juce heavy plastic jugs with no problems

I also use Delta 1 gal brown plastic jugs that work well.

Tony

Calamity Jane · Jun 16, 2005

It was an orange juice jug. It must have "bio-degraded" sitting under the counter. Never had that happen before.

So many chemicals now days are readily available in gallon (4L) quantities and cheap that I know they will expire long before I use them up so I save my good (and smaller) containers for the expensive or critical chemicals. The volumous and inexpensive chemicals are relegated to whatever comes out of the kitchen destined for the recycle bin.

I'm still surprised it reacted with the floor tile!

dancqu · Jun 16, 2005

Ronald Moravec said:
As some else said, get the cone type seal caps and
clean the INSIDE lip before tightening.

I said that. Glass Boston Rounds, clear or amber, can
be found on eBay. Boston Rounds have been the standard
container of photographic chemistry for generations. They
are N.O.T expensive. They are the conservative choice.

Those cork within a screw-cap go by the brand
names Polyseal and Polycone. Do a Google search; the
bottles will follow the caps. I'm still lamenting the loss of
Tri Ess Sciences, they had such a nice selection and
of caps as well. Dan

Dektol & plastic ?

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