|
overheated hand sanitizer
08-09-2011, 10:57 AM
|
#1
|
Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 582
|
overheated hand sanitizer
I left a small plastic bottle of hand sanitizer in my car the other day. The bottle was inside another bag, so it wasn't in the direct sunlight but it was about 85 degrees and sunny all day. When I retrieved it, the bottle was expanded as though it had been at altitude, and the plastic seemed stiffer. The gel itself seemed ok. What's the deal? Is it dangerous to leave this stuff out in the heat?
__________________
|
|
|
|
Join the #1 Early Retirement and Financial Independence Forum Today - It's Totally Free!
Are you planning to be financially independent as early as possible so you can live life on your own terms? Discuss successful investing strategies, asset allocation models, tax strategies and other related topics in our online forum community. Our members range from young folks just starting their journey to financial independence, military retirees and even multimillionaires. No matter where you fit in you'll find that Early-Retirement.org is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!
You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with our members, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create a retirement blog, send private messages and so much, much more!
|
08-09-2011, 11:13 AM
|
#2
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: the City of Subdued Excitement
Posts: 5,588
|
I expect that the alcohol in it came out of solution when the temperature went up. The vapor pressure increased A LOT! A full bottle might pop open and make a mess. The alcohol is flammable and may be dangerous to breath. Keep the bottles small and in a zip-lock bag just in case. I wouldn't leave it out in the heat.
__________________
I have outlived most of the people I don't like and I am working on the rest.
|
|
|
08-09-2011, 11:18 AM
|
#3
|
Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 293
|
The bottle expanded because alcohol (primary ingredient) has a high vapor pressure (and concequently a low boiling point). Alchohol is known as a volatile solvent because it evaporates easily. The bottle expanding was simply the alchohol boiling off.
There really isn't any "problem" except if there is anyway for the gas (and liquid) to escape, it will leak out. As long as there is no source of ignition, leaving it in the heat isn't really a problem.
|
|
|
08-09-2011, 11:34 AM
|
#4
|
Moderator
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Flyover country
Posts: 25,357
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ed_The_Gypsy
Keep the bottles small and in a zip-lock bag
|
See?
Maybe next time you'll listen to your friendly TSA agent.
__________________
I thought growing old would take longer.
|
|
|
08-09-2011, 12:02 PM
|
#5
|
Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Oahu
Posts: 26,860
|
Would heating a bottle of sanitizer kill off its bacteria or encourage faster growth?
I hope that's a trick question...
__________________
*
Co-author (with my daughter) of “Raising Your Money-Savvy Family For Next Generation Financial Independence.”
Author of the book written on E-R.org: "The Military Guide to Financial Independence and Retirement."
I don't spend much time here— please send a PM.
|
|
|
08-09-2011, 01:20 PM
|
#6
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 17,241
|
Live in Texas where the temp inside a car gets to 140 degrees pretty fast if left in the sun.... never had a problem with our sanitizer bottle...
|
|
|
08-09-2011, 01:44 PM
|
#7
|
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 2,395
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Texas Proud
Live in Texas where the temp inside a car gets to 140 degrees pretty fast if left in the sun.... never had a problem with our sanitizer bottle...
|
Yep, she blew up long before we got to the car!
__________________
-- Telly, the D-I-Y guy --
Two fools dancing on the hands of time
|
|
|
08-09-2011, 05:39 PM
|
#8
|
Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 582
|
Interesting - thanks. It was a small bottle, but mostly full. So what you'd actually want is a large bottle that's mostly empty - not much alcohol to boil off, and more room for it to expand, right? When I saw it, I was happy it hadn't oozed everywhere. From the look of the bottle, there was a lot of pressure built up!
__________________
|
|
|
08-09-2011, 05:51 PM
|
#9
|
Moderator
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Flyover country
Posts: 25,357
|
One other thought:
I'm guessing that when you loosened the cap to relieve the pressure, some of that vaporized alcohol was released into the atmosphere. Do that several times and the level of alcohol remaining in the sanitizer might be low enough to render it much less effective at its sanitizing job.
__________________
I thought growing old would take longer.
|
|
|
08-09-2011, 06:05 PM
|
#10
|
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 10,252
|
If the alcohol boiled off, then the bottle would not have expanded since "boil off" implies the alcohol escaped. Perhaps the word to use is "vaporized".
Now suppose you had this in the sunlight in your car such that the light was focused on the gel such as can occur with a magnifying glass or some mirrors. Would this thing explode and strew flaming napalm all over the inside of your car? I suggest you try the experiment.
An overseas colleague left a 12-pack of soda in his rental car last weekend. Eight of the 12 cans popped and disgorged their contents.
|
|
|
08-09-2011, 08:09 PM
|
#11
|
Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 125
|
I have several partially used bottles in my car....and it gets well over 100 degrees inside during the day. No problems with any of them.
|
|
|
08-10-2011, 09:23 AM
|
#12
|
Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 582
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by braumeister
One other thought:
I'm guessing that when you loosened the cap to relieve the pressure, some of that vaporized alcohol was released into the atmosphere. Do that several times and the level of alcohol remaining in the sanitizer might be low enough to render it much less effective at its sanitizing job.
|
I wondered about this, but when I opened the bottle (at room temperature) it didn't seem to release any pressure. Certainly the bottle didn't go back to its normal shape. Assuming it was a closed system, did the vaporized alcohol re-liquefy as it cooled and mix back in? I can't tell any difference in the gel, it's not like it dried up or anything.
__________________
|
|
|
|
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
|
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
» Recent Threads
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
» Quick Links
|
|
|