Goofy question about amber glass bottles.

[Fin]

I knew a photographic research lab that only used similar bottles with such caps (aluminium caps with moulded seal).
However, one may argue on the risk of corrosion of the aluminium if in contact with the liquid. Though one may wipe the thread of the bottle before capping.

These are really good for sealing chemicals. Especially in wine bottles!

 

[Tumbles]

I wonder what the blue glass bottles that are next to the amber glass bottles at the local science store are meant for? I wonder why I don't see any black glass bottles for light sensitive chemicals?

 

[lantau]

I likely would not work with pure benzene, furthermore it is practically banned here. I guess you mean gasoline...

No I meant benzene. Obviously my post was slightly exaggerated. In your case I'd be more worried about my suggested use of Aqua Regis (Königswasser) than benzene.

I guess a good flush with Acetone might be nearly as good as my first suggestion.

 

[AgX]

Good point, I actually read over Aqua Regis as unknown... I only knew the german term and was too slow on the uptake.
Yes, I learned Latin once...

 

[AgX]

These are really good for sealing chemicals. Especially in wine bottles!

But is'nt the chance of spoiling the content much bigger when extracting such rubber "corks", than with a srew-off cap?

 

[RalphLambrecht]

So I'm just wondering if I can save a few bucks by not buying amber glass bottles and using these 1 liter olive oil bottles for mixing the C41 developer? They're tinted, so I don't see why not, but I want to make sure.

View attachment 220657

I'm strongly against the use of food container for chem storage due to the danger of mistaking it for food one day but, technically, it may work.

 

[Fin]

But is'nt the chance of spoiling the content much bigger when extracting such rubber "corks", than with a srew-off cap?

No, they are much quicker to remove and they aren't a tight fit in the bottle, the vacuum holds them in place. You simply push the center valve bit sideways to release the vacuum when you want to remove it.

I use these with 1L amber bottles for C41 and E6 and they work brilliantly!

 

[AgX]

Thank you. I wondered about that ribbed stud and thought it was designed for a tight fit already without a vacuum.

 

[AgX]

I'm strongly against the use of food container for chem storage due to the danger of mistaking it for food one day but, technically, it may work.

I uttered such warnings myself in the past. However there are standard drink bottles designs. And then there are those rather proprietary bottles as that vegetabile oil bottle. But yes when using such oil in the kitchen and doing processing there, the risk of mixing up is real.
And that vacuum wine bottle cap then can be misleading too.

Yes, the best is to use very unfamiliar bottles. And in any case even when living alone to think of unexpected situations as visitors with a child etc.

A good labelling is another thing to do.

(When I started I even used a blank, unlabelled beverage bottle to store my fixer... Though in a place only I had access to.)

 

[Ces1um]

I thought you were totally serious at first trendland! Thanks for the responses everyone. Normally I wouldn't worry about it, but it seems in Europe the prices on everything are a little higher on some things, so I'm trying to save a buck, and I've got a whole bunch of these bottles that I'm just throwing out!

So I'm just wondering if I can save a few bucks by not buying amber glass bottles and using these 1 liter olive oil bottles for mixing the C41 developer? They're tinted, so I don't see why not, but I want to make sure.

View attachment 220657

Olive oil will come out with soap and hot water. No need to worry about that. Just be thorough. If you're really worried, take the bottles to a local beer/wine making store and use their washer. There's no reason to assume you can't get the oil out. Just don't be lazy with your efforts. Put the level of exertion into cleaning it that your parents used to put into everything they did.

If the green colour isn't suitable to protect your chemicals, just paint the bottles with a readily available enamel paint. That will block the light better than even the amber glass would. It might rarely scratch off in spots but you can easily repaint them. Just don't paint the insides

 

[AgX]

If you're really worried, take the bottles to a local beer/wine making store and use their washer.

The OP is not located in Canada. Here in continental Europe such amateur activities are just emerging. After a search on the net for some minutes I just found two such brick&mortar shops. One in Germany and one in Belgium. And both do not offer cleaning services.

 

[trendland]

Olive oil will come out with soap and hot water.

Aha - thank God that there IS Photrio !

with regards

PS : Don't use C4 :

 

[gordrob]

Over the years I have standardized all my storage bottles to brown 1 or 2 liter bottles I got through a druggist friend. To clean any residue I use a bottle washer that I bought at a wine/beer makers store. The bottle washer is a J tube that attaches to your faucet and fires a jet stream of water into the bottle .https://www.homebrewit.com/fermtech-single-blast-bottle-washer/
If there is any residue left, I put a hand full of small ball bearing in the bottle and swirl them around to clean the bottle. Any caps that might contaminate the contents get a piece of parafilm or wax paper over the mouth of the bottle before being capped. All bottles are labeled and dated. Any bottles that are not full get a shot of an inert gas used for preserving wine or Nitrogen gas.

 

[DREW WILEY]

All plastics are oxygen permeable to some degree. Glass is highly resistant, provided the caps are efficient and there is not already air inside. Amber is for sake of blocking UV. And you can get a shatter resistant variety with a soft plastic overcoat. There are a lot of wineries in this area, along with do-it-yourself wine and beermaking shops, which sell products to displace air with inert gas. Or you could just go out and rent a tank of argon. No need for me; I just decanter into smaller glass bottles. Food-grade stainless might not tolerate certain darkroom chemicals. So there's that. And accidental poisoning? - perhaps not as common as slow deliberate poisoning at your local FastFood restaurant. But you can buy big stick-on skull and crossbones labels. Darkrooms shouldn't be accessible to children anyway.

 

[Ces1um]

The OP is not located in Canada. Here in continental Europe such amateur activities are just emerging. After a search on the net for some minutes I just found two such brick&mortar shops. One in Germany and one in Belgium. And both do not offer cleaning services.

Just tried googling that myself with similarly poor results. I find it very strange that apparently Canada is on forefront of home wine making kits/stores while continental Europe with it's long history of wine consumption has so few stores to support this activity. I can't argue with your results but I still find it very odd. I rarely think of Canada as on the cutting edge.
The bottle washers that the stores over here have are quite impressive. Each bottle has it's own spot, each with it's own high pressure water jet. Usually there's a pink powder used to sterilize the bottle (what it was escapes me at the moment) and the machine also serves to dry the bottles. It's very inexpensive to use the machine (I remember it costing $2) and it took about 15-20 minutes to complete the cycle.

 

[Ces1um]

Aha - thank God that there IS Photrio !

with regards

PS : Don't use C4 :

Now I HAVE to try C4!

 

[jim10219]

Some people throw marbles in a glass bottle to displace the air. Though I just use old soda bottles and squeeze them to force the air out. They're not dark, but I keep them in a dark place, so light isn't a problem. I can at least double the recommended lifespan of most chemicals that way. I use different brands for different chemicals, so I can actually feel what's in them in complete darkness. That came in handy one day when I accidentally poured out my fixer tray instead of my rinse tray while developing some sheet film.

I've also used hydrogen peroxide bottles. They're even darker than wine bottles because the light turns hydrogen peroxide into water. This makes them easy to clean (all you need is a couple rinses of water and let it dry). The downside is they don't seal out air well. Maybe with a better cap they would.

 

[AgX]

I've also used hydrogen peroxide bottles. They're even darker than wine bottles because the light turns hydrogen peroxide into water. This makes them easy to clean (all you need is a couple rinses of water and let it dry).

What makes them easy to clean? Hydrogen Peroxide having turned into water though the bottle being coloured?

 

[trendland]

Now I HAVE to try C4!

What I would like to mention is the following : PET is just fine (from all kind of colors), Glass is just fine (from all kind of colors) airtight is just fine (from 99,2 % till 99,897%), temperature is just fine
< 20degree C! For all kind of C41 soups!

with regards

PS : I don't care about light so much in concern of storage chems in general! My storage is in a basement room (< 18degree C) and I allway switching the light off when I close that room!
(rats have very good eyes and if they like to drink my chem soups in environments of extreme low light it is THEIR PROBLEM )!

 

[Agulliver]

Benzene has recently been un-banned in British schools....so the 40 year old bottle of benzene that I've been hiding for my 19 years in my job can finally come out again....indeed it was needed two weeks ago.

For what its worth, my old chemistry teacher used to wash his hands in pure benzene in the 60s. He's still very much alive and healthy in his retirement, flitting between the UK and Thailand where he has a young lady and a second home.

 

[trendland]

Benzene has recently been un-banned in British schools....so the 40 year old bottle of benzene that I've been hiding for my 19 years in my job can finally come out again....indeed it was needed two weeks ago.

For what its worth, my old chemistry teacher used to wash his hands in pure benzene in the 60s. He's still very much alive and healthy in his retirement, flitting between the UK and Thailand where he has a young lady and a second home.

Yes I agree total - to wash your hands with pure benzene isn't against healthy!
But perhaps it is because you do it not EVERY day! And you do not shower with benzene of course
if Not - the case you shower with pure benzene :Pls. do not smoke ! :

.......just guessing the OP is up to now best informed how to store c41 chemicals
[with all kind of riscs of that - beside storing c41 in bottles ?]

with regards

BTW : What to do in case of additional possible emergencys in darkroom???

 

[mcfitz]

For what its worth, my old chemistry teacher used to wash his hands in pure benzene in the 60s. He's still very much alive and healthy in his retirement, flitting between the UK and Thailand where he has a young lady and a second home.

Well, for what it is worth, that is a really creepy anecdote, regardless of how hale and hearty the old valiant chem teacher might be.

 

[craigclu]

Beer in green bottles goes skunky before amber-bottled beer.... Connected?

 

[AgX]

see post #3

 

[MattKing]

Beer in green bottles goes skunky before amber-bottled beer.... Connected?

You give beer a chance to go bad?