Best storage bottles for 4% HCL

dieseldude
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12 Aug 2025 13:48 #87272 by dieseldude

Best storage bottles for 4% HCL was created by dieseldude

Greetings,

I just joined and this is my first attempt at producing a DIY product. I recently bought a quart of 37% which arrived in a plastic bottle with 2 clear bags tywrapped around it. I've yet to disturb it but apparently it is gassing off as there's condensation now in the bags. So I need to get the ball rolling and I guess the best thing to do is just dilute the entire quart. I didn't realize the rather large quantity I'd end up with at first. But we intend to use it for bathing, etc so perhaps it won't go to waste. I'm assuming that storage becomes considerably easier once diluted to 4%. So I'm looking at a final volume of around 2 gallons to bottle up.

I believe I have a case of flip top 16oz beer bottles stashed from the home brewing days. They have the usual porcelain tops with red rubber seals. So I'm wondering if a source exist for replacement Viton seals. I did some research and that's about the only rubber rated for HCL. My question is will the 4% damage the existing red rubber seals over say a year storage? Are there any common bottles that are known to be stable storing this?

Many thanks in advance,
DD

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CLO2
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25 Aug 2025 10:37 #87336 by CLO2

Replied by CLO2 on topic Best storage bottles for 4% HCL

dieseldude wrote:
Greetings,

I just joined and this is my first attempt at producing a DIY product. I recently bought a quart of 37% which arrived in a plastic bottle with 2 clear bags tywrapped around it. I've yet to disturb it but apparently it is gassing off as there's condensation now in the bags. So I need to get the ball rolling and I guess the best thing to do is just dilute the entire quart. I didn't realize the rather large quantity I'd end up with at first. But we intend to use it for bathing, etc so perhaps it won't go to waste. I'm assuming that storage becomes considerably easier once diluted to 4%. So I'm looking at a final volume of around 2 gallons to bottle up.

I believe I have a case of flip top 16oz beer bottles stashed from the home brewing days. They have the usual porcelain tops with red rubber seals. So I'm wondering if a source exist for replacement Viton seals. I did some research and that's about the only rubber rated for HCL. My question is will the 4% damage the existing red rubber seals over say a year storage? Are there any common bottles that are known to be stable storing this?

Many thanks in advance,
DD

My favorite HCL concentration is 0%. HCL is very dangerous to handle at high concentrations. Even if you double or triple enclose it, HCL will escape and damage anything metallic, including stainless steel, that is nearby.

The only HCL I now keep is a 4% 2 fl oz bottle in a fridge, as I no longer use HCL.

HCL 4% will last about 3 years, then loses potency.

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stu77000
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28 Aug 2025 16:34 #87352 by stu77000

Replied by stu77000 on topic Best storage bottles for 4% HCL

sarataylor wrote:
The main issue is that hydrochloric acid fumes eat away at most rubbers and metals. Even at 4%, your beer bottle seals won’t hold up for long. Better to get HDPE chemical bottles (the white plastic type) they’re what manufacturers use for storage, and they’ll save you trouble in the long run.

Great. You mean I should have just left it in their original plastic bottles and not transferred it to glass bottles....

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CLO2
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29 Aug 2025 01:01 #87353 by CLO2

Replied by CLO2 on topic Best storage bottles for 4% HCL

stu77000 wrote:

sarataylor wrote:
The main issue is that hydrochloric acid fumes eat away at most rubbers and metals. Even at 4%, your beer bottle seals won’t hold up for long. Better to get HDPE chemical bottles (the white plastic type) they’re what manufacturers use for storage, and they’ll save you trouble in the long run.

Great. You mean I should have just left it in their original plastic bottles and not transferred it to glass bottles....

HCL will dissolve the silicone ring seal on those glass beer bottles. There is an answer for which bottle to use, that is not made from plastic. This bottle is all glass including the stopper (cap). They also work for making CDS, but you may need to polish the glass stopper-to-bottle "joint".

Erlenmeyer glass flasks with glass stoppers.jpg

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dieseldude
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11 Jan 2026 20:03 #87827 by dieseldude

Replied by dieseldude on topic Best storage bottles for 4% HCL

Thanks for the data! I've been keeping it in a brown glass 2oz dropper bottle. So far it has eaten up 4 dropper top assemblies. Lucky I bought 20 bottles so I just keep a close eye on it. And replace the top before it ends up with black particles in the solution. The first time that did occur before I realized the situation. But all is good and it works wonders. Since I limit ingesting so far, I think I'll just switch to citric when this runs out. Frankly both me and my beautiful pooch would of already expired without it. It has cured some major oral issues I had by simply swishing, brushing, and the occasional light water pik treatment. In my case it took the water pik to access the deep root of the issue. For the first time in decades my headaches are subsiding and actual healing is noticably occurring. I expect over time now that my hearing will also improve. Earlier this week the same bloom happened orally with my dog which became a instant emergency. It corrected that with simple application to his teeth and jowls with a small horse hair paint brush. After 2d of brief treatments every 8h you can't even detect the smell any longer. Miracle is a understatement...Many thanks to all.

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CLO2
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11 Jan 2026 20:18 #87829 by CLO2

Replied by CLO2 on topic Best storage bottles for 4% HCL

dieseldude wrote:
Thanks for the data! I've been keeping it in a brown glass 2oz dropper bottle. So far it has eaten up 4 dropper top assemblies. Lucky I bought 20 bottles so I just keep a close eye on it. And replace the top before it ends up with black particles in the solution. I would suggest to not use a dropper cap. Instead, use a regular bottle cap and then use a LDPE pipette to dispense 4% HCL. Rinse the pipette twice with clean water so it can be used with other chemicals. That is what I do and works fine.

The first time that did occur before I realized the situation. But all is good and it works wonders. Since I limit ingesting so far, I think I'll just switch to citric when this runs out. Frankly both me and my beautiful pooch would of already expired without it. It has cured some major oral issues I had by simply swishing, brushing, and the occasional light water pik treatment. In my case it took the water pik to access the deep root of the issue. For the first time in decades my headaches are subsiding and actual healing is noticably occurring. I expect over time now that my hearing will also improve. Earlier this week the same bloom happened orally with my dog which became a instant emergency. It corrected that with simple application to his teeth and jowls with a small horse hair paint brush. After 2d of brief treatments every 8h you can't even detect the smell any longer. Miracle is a understatement...Many thanks to all.

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Best storage bottles for 4% HCL

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