Bottles for storing developers

[ultradianguy]

Hi - I'm interested in this thread although I no longer do wet developing. However, I used to, and have a collection of those old collapsible brown plastic bottles that were used to keep the air space minimal. I was thinking of using them for solvents and finishes for woodworking. Does anyone know if those bottles (which are probably over 40 years old) would still be usable? Plastic doesn't biodegrade for hundreds of years - but that doesn't mean they'd be safe to use for this purpose. Anyone?

Thanks!

[glen_h]

The plastic bottles that I know are polyethylene, which is pretty resistant to strange chemicals.

 

It might get a little brittle after a while, though.

 

The collapsible bottles are thinner plastic

 

Otherwise, you get to decide how bad a leak is if one happens.

[rodeo_joe1]

I was thinking of using them for solvents and finishes for woodworking. Does anyone know if those bottles (which are probably over 40 years old) would still be usable?

Not worth the risk IMO. They weren't even much good for storing photo chemicals, since the caps never usually sealed properly and the plastic used was gas porous.

[eb_kidd]

Look on the bottom of the bottle. Find the little Triangle shape. If it has a 1 or a 3 in the middle it is the least likly to pass Oxygen. Other numbers are better used for anything other than Developers. Not all plastic bottles have these though. I tryed to find glass myself. Hard to find anymore

 

Number 3 may not pass O2 but it's PVC and can outgas chlorine under certain circumstances. I prefer to stick with number 1 which is PETE. I had the good fortune at one time of being able to scavenge a couple of dozen 4 liter (slightly more than a US gallon) from the dumpster of a former employer in the semiconductor industry. These bottles were formerly used for hydrogen peroxide and ammonium hydroxide, were already triple-rinsed before disposal, and had convenient carrying/pouring handles on a swiveling collar. I took a couple and made graduated scales by measuring out successive 500ml quantities of water in a graduated cylinder, pouring them in, then marking each level (bottom of the meniscus) with a fine-point permanent marker. I then masked this over with blue painter's tape, as well as the top and handle, then painted them with flat black spray paint, which does not affect the chemistry inside the bottle, and they have worked fine ever since. I'm sure you could use a similar approach with smaller PETE bottles as well.