Use of inert gases

[Bob Salomon]

What about duster products, such as Dust-off and similar? Most seem to have 1,1-Difluoroethane.

And, by law in the USA,a bitterant to discourage inhaling the stuff to get high!

[Jac@stafford.net]

Thinking of economy: are farts inert?

[Drew Wiley]

Bob, if people didn't get high on aerosol cans, "street art" wouldn't even exist. But what I can't figure out is whether the graffiti is due to their brains already being rotted out, or if it is necessary to destroy brain cells afterwards in order to appreciate that kind of thing as art. I simply call it vandalism.

[Bob Salomon]

Bob, if people didn't get high on aerosol cans, "street art" wouldn't even exist. But what I can't figure out is whether the graffiti is due to their brains already being rotted out, or if it is necessary to destroy brain cells afterwards in order to appreciate that kind of thing as art. I simply call it vandalism.

Drew, they added the bitterant because people, mostly kids, were dying from inhaling the canned air. Since they are also classified as a hazmat they should just be banned!

[Drew Wiley]

It always amazes me how people of offices will spend hundreds of dollars a year on canned air but can't afford a modest air compressor. Kids inhale all kinds of aerosols, sometimes with permanent health effects, including behavioral and mental illness. What I especially dislike,however,is glamorizing graffiti when it inherently involves careless use of unhealthy products. But the same categories of hazardous solvents can come from non-pressurized cans and bottles, the number one source not being spray paint at all, but nail polish!

[Jim Jones]

Drew, they added the bitterant because people, mostly kids, were dying from inhaling the canned air. Since they are also classified as a hazmat they should just be banned!

Not only might they die, but a kid in my area is awaiting his murder trial for passing out after sniffing cleaner, and crashing into another car at 85mph, killing the driver.

[J_3]

Ar isn't very hard to come by. It's used as the inert gas in TIG welding. You can weld magnesium alloy with an argon gas shield to give you an idea how inert it is. Nitrogen is 'inert enough' for most applications not involving heat or pressure and is cheaper.

[Eric Woodbury]

Jac@stafford

No. Methane. CH4. A highly reactive hydrocarbon. Tetrahedral. No open flames, please.

[Jac@stafford.net]

It always amazes me how people of offices will spend hundreds of dollars a year on canned air but can't afford a modest air compressor.

Excellent point! Can you point us to a small, quality compressor with moisture filter? Thank you.

[chassis]

Storage options as I see them, in order of lower oxygen permeability (good for photochemical storage) to higher oxygen permeability (not as good for photochemical storage):

- glass bottle
- "wine bag", with an EVOH layer
- PET bottles, e.g. soft drink bottles

A benefit of the "wine bag" and PET bottle options, is the ability to squeeze out residual air before closing. Glass bottles do not provide this option, unless a displacement medium, such as marbles is used. The use of a displacement medium is inconvenient in my experience.

Comments have been made that E6 developers are more strongly caustic than others, and that PET may not behave well with these solutions. I have no experience with this. I have successful experience storing B&W and C-41 chemicals in PET containers.

I do not include in the list the traditional brown polyethylene (PE) storage bottles, accordion or otherwise. These were likely the easiest option available, before the widespread availability of PET bottles a few decades ago. PE is not a good performer relative to oxygen permeation.

Plastic type (PET, HDPE, LDPE, etc.) is often noted on the bottom of a container.