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Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Pine Beach, NJ
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for Metal Finishing since 1989
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Iridite 14-2 dry shelf life
I have access to some very cheap Iridite. The only problem is that it's past the due date. There are 3 separate batches with the following expiration dates: 6/2003, 9/2005, and 3/2006. I am asking about what humidity and temperature this has been stored at. And I am contacting Macdermid about this. Does anybody have any experience with this? I will be using it to immersion treat 6061-t6 aluminum.
Dan Morehouse- Bellingham, Washington
2006
First of three simultaneous responses -- 2006
Do not worry about the shelf life of 14-2. Recently in San Juan my product was tied up in Customs, we went across town and borrowed some 14-2 from a container that was 5 years old. It was as hard as a rock. It worked perfectly.
Robert H Probert
Robert H Probert Technical Services
Garner, North Carolina
Second of three simultaneous responses --
Dan
The only way to be sure if it is any good is to process and test some coupons for your application. If you buy it and it does not perform, you're now stuck with disposal costs as well. There is a shelf life for a reason.
- Colorado Springs, Colorado
2006
Third of three simultaneous responses --
It kept dry, not clumped or caked up, it's as good as new...however...if you're doing military or other specification work, you may not be permitted to use out-of-date chemicals.
Jeffrey Holmes, CEF
Spartanburg, South Carolina
2006
Am I missing the obvious question in all this banter? What makes an inorganic salt that's in its origi nal container bad? Has it outgassed? Has the hex chrome miraculously been reduced to trivalent? Are there magic bugs that eat up the "goodies" in the 14-2 that make it special? For the most part, chemicals we use in our industry, particularly the dry ones, don't degrade over time unless they pick up moisture from the air, get contaminated, etc. I get shelf life control for paints and epoxies and the likes, but putting shelf lives on inorganic chemicals is bad for the environment and the wallet. If it was the final case and I was being asked "deal or no deal", I'd take the deal!
Milt Stevenson, Jr.
Syracuse, New York
2006
2006
Milt, you seem to contradict your response in letter #42248.
A product past its expiration date cannot be used for work certified to specifications, which is why a defense contractor is making it available. Macdermid limits the shelf life of Iridite 14-2 for reasons of which we are unaware. Perhaps in a worst case scenario, a certain amount of absorbed moisture creates a reaction among ingredients, maybe involving a non-disclosed additive?
- Goleta, California
Finishing.com honored Ken for his countless carefully researched responses. He passed away May 14, 2015.Rest in peace, Ken. Thank you for your hard work which the finishing world, and we at finishing.com, continue to benefit from.
Expanding on my first answer above, I did 10 years with Allied-Kelite where 14-2 originated. The work processed above with the 5 year old 14-2 DID pass 168 hours 5% ASTM spec salt spray ! Milt is right, as usual.
Robert H Probert
Robert H Probert Technical Services
Garner, North Carolina
2006
My understanding of quality systems, such as NADCAP, is that one would be unable to use out of shelf life materials period. It makes no difference if they are perfectly good, less expensive, and/or would create an environmental hazard. If you are not governed by one of these systems and do not have to certify the process to a specification requiring controlled shelf life materials, it sound like a good deal to me.
Chris Jurey, Past-President IHAALuke Engineering & Mfg. Co. Inc.
Wadsworth, Ohio
2006
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