Homebrew PCBs

On Tue, 23 Aug 2005 12:08:57 +0200, bdl7431 <bdl7431@...> wrote:

> However, the salt formation has me a bit puzzled - where did this form -  
> all
> over the container or around the lid?
> Bruce
> PS:  I am a chemist in my real life.


It has me puzzled too.
Not around the lid, all over the bottle, under and maybe also above liquid  
level inside.
Also, the HCl bottle appeared to get small protruding dimples after  
several years, which is why i hadn't refilled it last time but instead got  
a new one.

I have no idea what the salt is, i am only guessing it is salt. It's a  
white powder and somewhow it feels like a very fine salt to the touch.
My workaround (to prevent getting it on my fingers) was to cut off a  
larger bottle and use it as a sleeve around the bottle. Also, i found if i  
keep the HCl bottle really close to spray cans this isn't good, as they  
will rust at the seam. Note that the lids on those bottles are very  
reliable, i'm sure the acid traces came "through" the bottle.

Those are the standard-issue bottles at my chemicals store, so i use them  
for lots of stuff and don't see this problem with anything else, only with  
white spirit there was a problem too, it evaporated throught the bottle in  
an amount that would cause it to deform inwards, i use a glass bottle for  
that now. I am surprised petrol doesn't evaporate through jerry cans then,  
maybe those are PP and not PE, no sure. Haven't observed any contraction  
of the can with those.

I would look forward to any guesses you might have as to what this salt  
might be, i've tried to find out but nobody came up with an explanation so  
far.

ST