frozen acetic acid!

eddie gunks · Jan 6, 2009

did i ruin it you think?

i am having trouble with my collodion developer.......it uses acetic acid! frozen AA is going to make my test difficult ......

shit!

eddie gunks · Jan 6, 2009

it is called "glacial" because its freezing point (16.7 C 62F) is only slightly below room temperature.

damn! now i know!

smieglitz · Jan 6, 2009

Eddie,

That's why they call it "glacial acetic acid." It freezes at 62 degrees Fahrenheit IIRC. I'm not sure if it harms the acid to freeze/thaw it, but be careful about bursting the container and creating a spill. The fumes are really nasty and it is corrosive in its concentrated form.

Joe

smieglitz · Jan 6, 2009

Edit: Is there an echo in here? Sorry for the dupe info. I received a phone call that slowed me down just as I was typing a response.

Ty G · Jan 6, 2009

Just thaw it and it is good to go. You can also keep some ready-to-go diluted with distilled H2O and that will solve the frozen problem. Or as I do at reenactments, stick the frozen bottle in your pocket and in a few minutes it is ready.

Trevor Crone · Jan 6, 2009

Eddie, I've had it freeze and thaw several times with no ill effect to its properties.

Just bring it to room temperature and it will soon thaw out. If you are in a bit of a hurry, loosen the top of the bottle and stand it in a tepid water bath.

Photo Engineer · Jan 6, 2009

Make sure the entire bottle of Glacial Acetic Acid is thawed. The same is true of any diluted Acetic Acid. If it is not all thawed you may get a tiny bit or a large bit of non-uniformity depending on dilution. It is not harmed by freezing.

However, at higher dilutions be careful in case the bottle cracks from expansion of the water content as it freezes. In that case, you will have a potentially dangerous leak.

PE

trexx · Jan 6, 2009

Just want to mention, if you dilute add the acid to water not the other way around.

Ole · Jan 6, 2009

I used to keep a small bottle of glacial acetic acid on a shelf in my darkroom: If it was solid, it was too cold to work there.

Photo Engineer · Jan 6, 2009

My TEA is frozen solid, but my Glacial Acetic Acid is liquid.

PE

Mike Wilde · Jan 6, 2009

my TEA sits outside of the door of the darkroom, on top of the hot air plenum. It usually is about 24C when I mix with it after work, since the furnace has been running for an hour or more after catching up from it's resting period when we are all away from the house during the day at work or school.

eddie gunks · Jan 6, 2009

thanks all!

i still have my collodion issues.....ggggrrrr.

i am happy the acid is okay. it is a mostly full gal!

frozen acetic acid!

Ty G

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