PVC Pipe Solvent/Cement, How do you Prolong in storage ?

How much is the small can $5.00? Maybe less? Consider it the price of doing business.

joshuajim wrote:
I give the can a shot of argon from the TIG to displace the O2. Seems to keep a long time.

Along the same lines ....

Put a layer of the solvent (Acetone/Methyl Ketone) on top and DO NOT MIX ... It won't last forever, but will extend what is left in the can by preventing air to be in actual contact with the cement liquid until that sacrifical top layer of solvent evaporates.

Larry

I give the can a shot of argon from the TIG to displace the O2. Seems to keep a long time.

Seal the threads with PVC glue when finished with the job.
It does work !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OK all stop here, you do NOT want to store THF in your home. It is a peroxide forming solvent and you under no circumstances want a can of peroxides near your home. They explode. This is something that Chemists worry about and they keep careful track of the conditions of THF, Ethers and other like chemicals in their lab. An example:

"LESSON LEARNED Peroxide Explosion Injures Campus Researcher. Hazardous peroxide contaminants formed in old solvent and exploded after concentration. What happened? An undergraduate student researcher was working at the laboratory bench when the apparatus she was using exploded, sending glass fragments into her face and upper torso. The researcher was using a rotary evaporator (rotovap) to remove organic solvents from an azobenzene precipitate. She adjusted the bottom flask which then exploded sending glass towards her face, hitting her safety goggles and forehead. Lab personnel helped her to the safety shower and called 911. She was taken by ambulance to the hospital where she received stitches above her eyes and other treatment for her injuries. She was released from the hospital the same day. What was the cause of the explosion? Most likely, the explosion was caused by peroxide contaminants in the solvents that had concentrated to the point of being unstable. Both tetrahydrofuran (THF) and diethyl ether were used in the reaction, and both of these solvents form peroxides over time. In this case, the THF used did not contain a stabilizer (such as BHT) to slow the rate of peroxide formation and the four-liter bottle was nearly empty. A sample from the THF bottle was later analyzed with a simple test and found to contain excessive peroxides (more than 100 mg/l). The evaporation in the rotovap concentrated the peroxides in the bottom of the glass reaction vessel and any movement of the vessel could cause the now dry and shock sensitive peroxides crystals to explode."

The base/solvent in PVC cement is generally a combination of:

Tetrahydrofuran (THF) CAS 109-99-9 45-60%
Cyclohexanone CAS 108-94-1 9-18%
Acetone CAS 67-64-1 3-11%

The solvents are available in bulk at industrial chemical supply stores. The exact mixture is dependent on how "hot/cold" the mix is. Before it hardens, you can thin the cement with solvent(s) to reactivate it but if you aren't comfortable working with solvents/chemistry its best to just buy another can. Usually PVC cement is good for about 3 years but check the date stamp on the can before buying it. The "use by/before" date is important.

Chum lee

My discovery is that it's air getting into the can. I've found I can buy a larger can, not much more expensive than the little can, then fill an empty little can from it. The little can contents are shot after a few uses, but what's left in the big can is good as new. Another find with contact cement: When I buy the smaller glass bottles, it's dried up in a few months after first opening it. I bought one of the cans, about a half pint in a small metal paint can. After a few years, and many openings, it's still in good shape. It's maybe 10% used up by now. I would have thrown away at least a half dozen hardly used glass bottles of it over the same time.

TenOC wrote:
I was told by a plumber to store them upside down.

Not a bad idea as what causes the cement to coagulate is the air in the can.

I buy the smallest container too, buy a couple at a time

Upside down works...liquid not fumes against the seal.

I close it tight and if it goes bad I simply buy a new one.
I check in advance of a project so I am not running out one more errand in the middle of getting something done.