RE: MURATIC !
Judy, I am sure that they sell the pool acid in plastic bottles for SAFTEY reasons not so much for convenience; i.e. breakage. Bob was asking about storing the diluted acid which is far less potent than the acid from the store. "but weaker mixes you are ok with some plastics." Please note that I said, weaker and some. What do I use in my darkroom for these solutions; Glass. Why, because I have it and don't need to worry about parents with their excited kids trying to get the pool able to support a safe swim. And if I could suggest other place to store liquids, it would not be on a metal shelf. The metal in your darkroom will conduct the heat faster than wood, and plastics. Unless you keep you facility at a constant temp, you are forcing that bottle to breath more than needed. It is HCL no one is questioning that. Sorry to hear about your contractors misstep. Eric Eric Neilsen Photography 4101 Commerce Street Suite 9 Dallas, TX 75226 http://e.neilsen.home.att.net http://ericneilsenphotography.com Skype ejprinter > -----Original Message----- > From: Judy Seigel [mailto:jseigel@panix.com] > Sent: Wednesday, February 14, 2007 11:57 PM > To: alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca > Subject: MURATIC ! > > > On Wed, 14 Feb 2007, Eric Neilsen wrote: > > > Bob, you'll notice that they sell HCL/muriatic acid in plastic bottles. > I > > think you're safe there. Highly concentrated acid should be in glass, > but > > weaker mixes you are ok with some plastics. > > I've mentioned this several times on the list, which apparently didn't > register. I'd say Caveat Emptor, except I'm so tender hearted I say it > again. > > First, yes, "muriatic" is for all practical purposes as strong as HCL, tho > it's not lab grade, but the fact that they sell it in plastic is for their > convenience, not any sign that it's safe ... unless it's in that (green?) > plastic specially made for such things, which has a name somebody will > remember. (Tho I suppose some suppliers may dilute the muriatic, but > don't count on it.) > > I bought a gallon of muriatic in a nice heavy plastic container & set it > under my stainless steel sink... used about half of it & let it sit... > some time later (don't remember how long but with things like this, > obviously, TIME FLIES!), noticed that the cover was eaten through, the > metal all around was corroded, and it looked like if I blew on it the > entire jar would collapse. > > I took it outside & blah blah blah, but I would NEVER again > > 1. buy a gallon, or that much more than I would use in a few months. > > 2. store it in plastic, unless "dedicated" plastic. > > 3. Spill a barrel of it in our hall over my darkroom as some contractors > did many years ago. (My darkroom ceiling where it spilled through is still > crumbling). Though the 5 firetrucks and the hazard sqad eclipsed the > Saturday morning TV cartoons for entertainment on the block so it wasn't a > total loss. > > Which is to say, IME, muriatic is dandy for being so cheap, but otherwise > needs handling as HCL. > > > Judy
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