Small qty garage chemical storage

[rick carpenter]

I'm looking at some 8oz HPDE squeeze bottles for small, user quantities of acetone, maybe some other VOC, machine oil, liquid WD-40, etc. How long can VOCs stay safe in HDPE? Not planning on permanent storage of the VOCs in the squeeze bottles, but I think about my wife's nail polish remover (acetone) and how long it must have been in a HDPE bottle before even reaching her medicine cabinet.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I've had stuff in bottles long enough that I don't worry about it. Probably longer than latex paint that has rusted out the bottom of the steel paint can.

 

[Jgaz]

I keep acetone in its original nail polish remover bottle that I refill from a quart can. I added a flip tab squirt cap to dispense the liquid.

Mineral spirts are stored in a Dawn dishwashing liquid soap bottle. Original squirt cap used with it.
A dawn bottle lasts just about forever, some cheaper brand bottles get “crunchy” after a short while.

 

[firebirdparts]

Some chemicals are peroxide formers and are really pretty dangerous just sitting around. A house 3 doors down burned to the ground after an explosion in a studio full of paint, and that's not really that strange. I admit not taking my own advice here. I have a lot of old paint here and there.

Acetone is not a problem, you can keep it forever. MIBK is probably the most "heard of" truly dangerous peroxide former.

Glycol ether acetates are probably the ones you have more of but haven't heard of. they're in a lot of products and every paint, but not concentrated enough to ever blow anybody up.

there are some lists out there in google land.

Oils and fuel, the typical stuff you could park in a bottle, is safe forever.

 

[PCustoms]

MIBK is probably the most "heard of" truly dangerous peroxide former.

What is MIBK?

 

[LopezBart]

There's a lot of info on the web on chemical store; this one seems good to this former chemistry major:

https://ehs.wisc.edu/labs-research/chemical-safety/chemical-safety-guide/chemical-storage/

I like the use of dishpans as secondary containment for liquids.

 

[no704]

You obviously need a $5000 OSHA approved fire cabinet or your home will burn to the ground killing everyone in a 2 block radius!

 

[Nutria]

What is MIBK?

Methyl isobutyl ketone, I think.

 

[johnre]

What I use; the polyethylene plastic used in them is pretty good quality:



I do note that the nozzles will dribble out solvent with air pressure changes after use, and that's got an easy remedy - when done, I turn the bottle upside down and squeeze until air exits the tube, thereby leaving only air in the tube when it's stored upright.

@LopezBart 's idea to use a pan as secondary containment is a good idea; I'll have to adopt that idea.

 

[john.k]

Never store hydrochloric acid anywhere inside ...fumes escaping a sealed container will cause destructive rust on anything steel or iron ....and probably aluminium too.......if it should spill,then you can guarantee rust everywhere...........fumes from nitric acid are also destructive .

 

[WisJim]

I had 2 gallons of lamp oil (fancy kerosene) in plastic jugs sitting in the garage, and the other day I went to move them and one of the jugs shattered, spilling lamp oil all over the floor. Luckily my shop vac in the next room was full of sawdust which I dumped on the spill. But this made me apprehensive about stuff in plastic jugs, since this stuff was in its original jug. I put the other gallon in a couple of smaller metal cans.
No answers, just more questions.

 

[racecougar]

You obviously need a $5000 OSHA approved fire cabinet or your home will burn to the ground killing everyone in a 2 block radius!

Joke all you like, but there is nothing wrong with respecting the potential hazards presented by the solvents/chemicals.

As far as pricing goes, I've been able to buy a number of them for well under $100 at local industrial auctions. They pop up all the time around here (St. Louis area). The two shown here were just $30 and $25.

 

[no704]

I’m not advocating dangerous storage for such things. If you find one reasonable snap it up!