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Powder stored in a shed for a year, still good?

Cactus Kid

Private
Minuteman
May 2, 2011
58
1
37
Cleaning up my shed I found a can of imr 4064 I forgot I had put out there. It has been sitting out in an uninsulated shed in temperatures from 4 degrees to 111 degrees.

I is the powder still ok to use? If not, how do i dispose of it?
 
Re: Powder stored in a shed for a year, still good?

Good smell = something on the order of alcohol or ether (like a residual organic solvent, which is used in powder manufacture).

Bad smell = anthing else, (like for instance, aspirin; which only really has a smell when it has started to decompose from exposure to atmospheric moisture).

Heat is not good for powder, but it takes some time at probably higher temps than you mention to do significant harm. My powder gets stored in an unheated garage, some is several years old, and powder storage temperature has never arisen as a factor in any problems.

Greg
 
Re: Powder stored in a shed for a year, still good?

Yup, it should be good to go, as long as it doesn't have a rusty color, and acidic smell to it.

I store mine in my reloading shed year round, and have never had any problems for over a decade (some powders I have are at least that old).