Resource Stability of SN and N

[Endisclose]

I ordered SN recently but I don't plan to use it now (stupid decision, I know). It'll be in a plastic bottle thingy. If I unseal it for testing will I be able to use it in june 2026?

I am not sure that's a good idea. SN oxidises in an accelerated manner when exposed to air. The vaccum seal on the bottle keeps the air and moisture out and it can stay fresh and potent for a long time if stored properly in a dry, non humid environment.

Breaking the seal would let air and moisture ingress into the bottle converting the SN to sodium nitrate rendering it unsuitable for said purpose. I think it's generally a good idea to test just before CTB at least that's what I am planning to do.

Or test on an extra spare that one may have ordered. Once the seal is broken it might be good enough for just 3 months and probably not advisable to be relied on after that period.

 

[Endisclose]

My SN is 5 years old in its original unopened airtight box. Is it still good you reckon?

I think it should be, as per the research I've done. Could you test it and let us know the results on this thread when you open it? It would be very useful to a lot of people on this forum am sure.

I am keenly interested as my SN would be about 4 years old by the time I am planning to use it. Mine is in a hdpe container with a factory made vacuum seal. I've placed it in an airtight lock n lock container for further protection. If yours is similar, there is a high chance it could still be good.

The expiry date on my SN is 5 years from the date of manufacture. That means the contents are guaranteed to be within assay specifications (mine is 98.4% pure) within that period by the manufacturer. That doesn't mean that the assay will drop overnight beyond that period.

As per my research if stored well, SN could last twice the shelf life, or maybe even much longer than that - possibly even 15 to 20 years if stored properly of course..as mentioned in the discussion in the link below.

Sciencemadness Discussion Board - Nitrite shelf life - Powered by XMB 1.9.11

 

[Hiro Uchiha]

I think it should be, as per the research I've done. Could you test it and let us know the results on this thread when you open it? It would be very useful to a lot of people on this forum am sure.

I am keenly interested as my SN would be about 4 years old by the time I am planning to use it. Mine is in a hdpe container with a factory made vacuum seal. I've placed it in an airtight lock n lock container for further protection. If yours is similar, there is a high chance it could still be good.

The expiry date on my SN is 5 years from the date of manufacture. That means the contents are guaranteed to be within assay specifications (mine is 98.4% pure) within that period by the manufacturer. That doesn't mean that the assay will drop overnight beyond that period.

As per my research if stored well, SN could last twice the shelf life, or maybe even much longer than that - possibly even 15 to 20 years if stored properly of course.

Sciencemadness Discussion Board - Nitrite shelf life - Powered by XMB 1.9.11

Correct. Proper containment is the determining factor. Deterioration of sn is usually associated with prolonged exposure to vapor+warmer temp. If it's within airtight container, the salt will remain it's purity and viability for years.

 

[Steve Vermont]

I just received SN in a sealed plastic bag. It's not even vacuum sealed: there's air in it.

I am thinking of taking it out, putting it into gel capsules, then tossing those into a plastic vaccum-sealable bag with some gel dessicant packets and then sealing that. Do you think this will work to keep it storeable, long term?

 

[Hiro Uchiha]

I just received SN in a sealed plastic bag. It's not even vacuum sealed: there's air in it.

I am thinking of taking it out, putting it into gel capsules, then tossing those into a plastic vaccum-sealable bag with some gel dessicant packets and then sealing that. Do you think this will work to keep it storeable, long term?

I think it could work especially if your salt is very dry beforehand. However, I'm not exactly sure about the gel capsules. Depending on what kind, they can degrade rather faster than the SN you put in them.

 

[Steve Vermont]

Perhaps. However, since it's all going to be vaccum-sealed, at least the SN should remain potent, right?

 

[Hiro Uchiha]

Perhaps. However, since it's all going to be vaccum-sealed, at least the SN should remain potent, right?

Yes, in theory, that set up should keep your SN viable for a long time.

 

[Steve Vermont]

I was planning on doing this with my OLD SN, but given that this stuff came in a bag with air inside it. Take a look at these and see what y'all think is the most secure. To me, it's the one on the left. It's two years old. The black one is about four years old. The new stuff is on the right. It came in a sealed thick plastic bag and I triple-bagged it to be safe.

It's the stuff on the right that I think it's best to put in capsules and vacuum-store.

(Shit, I have enough SN here to kill an elephant. It's cheap and I think that soon they're going to make it unavailable to casual buyers, so I keep buying a new supply every other year or so.)

 

[Hiro Uchiha]

I was planning on doing this with my OLD SN, but given that this stuff came in a bag with air inside it. Take a look at these and see what y'all think is the most secure. To me, it's the one on the left. It's two years old. The black one is about four years old. The new stuff is on the right. It came in a sealed thick plastic bag and I triple-bagged it to be safe.

It's the stuff on the right that I think it's best to put in capsules and vacuum-store.

(Shit, I have enough SN here to kill an elephant. It's cheap and I think that soon they're going to make it unavailable to casual buyers, so I keep buying a new supply every other year or so.)

View attachment 182452

You got enough sodium nitrite to cure beef from around 75 cattles
Yes, I'd trust the bottled SN more compared to the one that came in a plastic bag in terms of security. Better use the bagged SN for capsule storage (if you really want to).

 

[Steve Vermont]

You got enough sodium nitrite to cure beef from around 75 cattles
Yes, I'd trust the bottled SN more compared to the one that came in a plastic bag in terms of security. Better use the bagged SN for capsule storage (if you really want to).

Well, what else am I going to do with it? :D

I think it might help ease me a little. Like cutting. Taking steps which won't be fatal but which COULD be, maybe.

 

[wishingonstars]

If I received SN in a doypack that had a bit of air in it would it be better for storage to leave sealed or to open press the air out and close it back up with the resealable zipper thing?

 

[Steve Vermont]

I dunno. I mean, I repacked mine and vaccum-sealed the result twice. But I have no idea how much exposure to air might have affected it.

 

[CPY]

The only SN source in my country sells it in a non-sealed plastic envelope.Last time I checked it was almost hardened whilst when I first bought it was mostly soft, is it still reliable? Should I buy another one and put it in some kind of container what type of container do you recommend to keep it reliable for at least 5 years?

 

[Macedonian1987]

My SN came in a similar bottle like the one shown on the photo (The 100g one). On the bottle it has a retest date: June 2029. As a precaution I put it in 2 vacuum sealed plastic bags and I put it in a dark place. When I shake it, it feels like most of the SN is clumped into a one big chunk. I hope this is normal, and that my SN hasn't gone bad. I never opened the bottle. It's still sealed.