PET or glass bottles to store chemicals

[Maris]

No glass in my darkroom, only PET, PP, and HDPE. I fear big glass bottles. They can be heavy when full, clumsy to handle, slippery when wet, and to drop one means a total spill with lots of broken glass.

 

[kl122002]

I use lab glass, with paraffin for stealing. Agree that glass is heavy and slippery sometimes, so I also added a film of semi transparent silicone over the bottle body for easier handling.

But , since you are on your treatment and could have a period that won't use the chemicals , how about just give them to people you know?

 

[alanrockwood]

To be something of a devil's advocate, alkaline solutions attack glass to form sodium silicate. This uses up the alkalinity of a solution. What I don't know is whether this is a problem for the moderate alkalinity of most developer solutions.

Any thoughts? My guess is that the reaction rate is slow enough that it is not likely to be a problem under usual storage conditions and storage times, but I don't know.

 

[mshchem]

Let's face it. Soda can be pretty nasty stuff. So yeah, some of those containers should be worthy. My wife and I once flew to Hawaii alongside a Coca Cola lady executive in our 3-seat row. My wife asked her if she got here Coke free. She replied, "I never drink it; all our ingredients are shipped HazMat". That includes carbonic acid, of course. They make Mountain Dew too, which is especially corrosive to teeth.

The ultimate poly bottles are polymethylpentene. Too expensive for general use. I do have a few measuring graduates made of it.

I was a working stiff lab rat when Nalgene introduced PMP graduates, I mailed away for a couple free samples, I still have these 100 mL graduates, have since picked up a couple other sizes from surplus on Ebay. No glass graduates left in my darkroom. They make conical graduates that are perfect for the darkroom.

 

[koraks]

Just out of curiosity has anyone here ever used wine boxes for storage?

Yes, several people have been experimenting with them. Most seem to like them. I personally don't; I find them cumbersome to fill and it's impossible to see the contents without taking some out. You also don't see if there's any fouling of the inside of the bag and they're not very easy to clean, so they may not last very well (or you have to take risks with carry-over contamination). I prefer reusable materials. Then again, as I said, other people actually like these. They're not very expensive, so give it a try.

I got a few of the appropriate boxes with them, which helps in storage and handling.

 

[koraks]

To be something of a devil's advocate, alkaline solutions attack glass to form sodium silicate. This uses up the alkalinity of a solution. What I don't know is whether this is a problem for the moderate alkalinity of most developer solutions.

Any thoughts? My guess is that the reaction rate is slow enough that it is not likely to be a problem under usual storage conditions and storage times, but I don't know.

It's not a problem. The worst that happens is that the glass goes a little matte, which cannot be fixed. Big deal. It also doesn't really happen with developers since they're not alkaline enough. Strong solutions of sodium carbonate and especially of lye (e.g. 10% NaOH) do make the glass go a little milky, but it's only an aesthetic issue.

 

[mcarmo]

Yes, several people have been experimenting with them. Most seem to like them. I personally don't; I find them cumbersome to fill and it's impossible to see the contents without taking some out. You also don't see if there's any fouling of the inside of the bag and they're not very easy to clean, so they may not last very well (or you have to take risks with carry-over contamination). I prefer reusable materials. Then again, as I said, other people actually like these. They're not very expensive, so give it a try.

I got a few of the appropriate boxes with them, which helps in storage and handling.

Thank you for your thoughts on the use of these bags. I also don't like that they are not reusable. That's my only point on the "cons" list. I have actually been using them almost since I began developing film and I just had this recent experience with paper developer that was stored for 4 years and still performed really well, so I was just curious that no one had suggested them as an alternative for long term storage. I thought maybe it was something people might not know about.

 

[MattKing]

I do know people who re-use them - in fact I know someone who put together a jig that aids in removal and re-insertion of the spigots.
But their re-use is always with the same chemical - e.g. Dektol.
There are re-usable hard plastic outside boxes marketed to home winemakers that can be used as well, but they are quite expensive.

 

[mcarmo]

I do know people who re-use them - in fact I know someone who put together a jig that aids in removal and re-insertion of the spigots.
But their re-use is always with the same chemical - e.g. Dektol.
There are re-usable hard plastic outside boxes marketed to home winemakers that can be used as well, but they are quite expensive.

That would be a fantastic thing to have because the spigots are really not that easy to place. Reusing with the same chemical would not be a problem for me because I tend to stick to the one that is easiest/cheapest to get so I have changed chemicals maybe twice in 17 years.

 

[Fatih Ayoglu]

I will use winebags for XTOL as the kit is for 5 litre and I'll keep 3 litre as working solution and 2 litre as 2x1l as replenisher.

The model I have purchased and will used is this

For RA4 stuff, I will used glass now and handle only when I feel strong enough. Same for BW paper developer chemistry (all are 3.5litre in slots)

 

[miha]

I have a dozen or so 500 ml heavy duty glass bottles for storing E6 and C41 chemicals. They are impermeable and alow for a quicker heat transfer in a tempering bath compared to thick plastic (HDPE) bottles. However I would never keep anything very toxic (selenium toner comes to mind) in a glass bottle...

 

[laser]

CAUTION: Each time I see threads dealing with liquid chemical storage I feel obligated to offer a caution. PLEASE AVOID ANY FORMER FOOD CONTAINER. I remember when a young girl and her family were visiting a photographer. They drank a non-commercial photographic developer that was stored in a former soft drink bottle. She died and her father and brother were sickened.

www.makingKODAKfilm.com

 

[Paul Howell]

I have made it a firm habit to keep all of photochemistry in a locked cabinet. But you are right, avoid any confusion.

 

[Kino]

Photographers Formulary has some reasonably priced brown glass and plastic storage bottles.

The black plastic bottles in which they sell their liquid chemistry are very good, so if you by TF5 Fix or similar, you get a good reusable container.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I switched from glass to StopLossBagsTM and I have had not problems with oxidation of developers or other chemicals. www.stoplossbags.com. Also I not longer worry about broken glass.

 

[pentaxuser]

Let's face it. Soda can be pretty nasty stuff.

This might explain why Rick( Casablanca) and Sam Spade ( The Maltese Falcon) never touched the stuff

pentaxuser

 

[gordrob]

I was lucky enough to get 10, 5 Liter Cubitainers years ago for E6 chemistry and they have lasted years of use. I have the Kodak cap and tube with a clamp for drawing the liquids. They come in a cardboard box so they are stackable. Sturdy LPDE construction, easy to clean and you can see the level of chemistry in them and they seem to last forever.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I like the feel of glass bottles, but I prefer the safety of plastic.

 

[darkroommike]

I like the feel of glass bottles, but I prefer the safety of plastic.

Siriusly? Sorry. Good PET bottles are great but more expensive than glass. Even cheap glass bottles are very good if you put a piece of "real Saran wrap under the caps.

 

[Old_Dick]

Has anyone looked into using IV bags? I know some have mentioned collapsible cube bags, the type that was used for Dektol and in collapsible camping water bags.

 

[jk0592]

For BW chemicals, I am a big fan of stoploss bags.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Siriusly? Sorry. Good PET bottles are great but more expensive than glass. Even cheap glass bottles are very good if you put a piece of "real Saran wrap under the caps.

Problems with glass breaking. I use 1 liter StopLossBagsTM with their funnel to safely move the chemicals back into the bags from www.stoplossbags.com and 1 liter JOBO bottles. The StopLossBags keep air out of the developer.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

Delta 1 are very thin recycled poly, certainly less than ideal; they seem semi-permeable to oxygen. You can either get higher quality thicker poly containers instead, or preferably glass ones.

as far as permeability goes nothing will beat glass but high-density polyethylene is very good also. pop bottles are made from it so the drink doesn't go flat and often include special permeability-blocking layers of other materials. I use the Delta bottles and do fine with them. Not sure, I would pay twice for glass and risk breakage?

 

[bernard_L]

high-density polyethylene is very good also. pop bottles are made from it so the drink doesn't go flat and often include special permeability-blocking layers of other materials.

Pop bottles are made of PET (Polyethylene terephtalate). Different polymer from HDPE (high-density polyethylene), and a better gas barrier.

 

[koraks]

Pop bottles are made of PET (Polyethylene terephtalate). Different polymer from HDPE (high-density polyethylene), and a better gas barrier.

Indeed, and the difference is relevant for photochemistry. I've tried storing C41 developer in HDPE bottles, but it oxidized slowly. It doesn't in PET.