Does HCL have a shelf life?

[Dave Krueger]

I was planning to experiment with chromium intensification of negatives, but my hydrochloric acid is probably several years old and is still in the plastic Photographer's Formulary bottle it came in. Does anyone know if HCL goes "bad" after a while?

 

[Photo Engineer]

HCl does not if stored properly. A plastic bottle can allow gas to escape. The only way to tell is to try.

PE

 

[Dave Krueger]

I've been looking it up on the web and I found out that concentrated HCL gives off fumes and will form ammonium chloride when it comes into contact with ammonia gas leaving a white chalky coating on things. Oddly enough, I have a white chalky coating on the HCL bottle (although not very heavy). Maybe the ammonia fumes from my selenium toning found it's way over to the HCL bottle. Apparently plastic bottles are common for storing acids, though. I'll try using it and see if it still works.

 

[Photo Engineer]

HCl in the lab is stored in approx. 1 gallon glass bottles with plastic screw lids with a gasket. Small quantities are stored in about 200 ml glass bottles and have ground glass stoppers. Even so, we sometimes see fine white powder around the edges of the caps.

PE

 

[Dave Krueger]

Thanks, PE. I will get a few glass bottles for acids like that. I will be experimenting with test film before I do anything on anything valuable, so I won't be risking anything if the HCL has become contaminated.