how long does decanted paint last?

[eran_k]

i want to buy some paint, only available in spray while I'm on a us visit. thing is yo cant bring spray paint on a plane, neither in your hand or checked luggage.

so i was thinking...i can decant the paint into jars and take it like this, will it last just as "non spray" paint in the jars?

[Jack L]

17 minutes ago, eran_k said:

i want to buy some paint, only available in spray while I'm on a us visit. thing is yo cant bring spray paint on a plane, neither in your hand or checked luggage.

so i was thinking...i can decant the paint into jars and take it like this, will it last just as "non spray" paint in the jars?

what if you buy it  then ship home ?

[eran_k]

28 minutes ago, Jack L said:

what if you buy it  then ship home ?

you cant ship aerosols internationally as a privet person at least

[ctruss53]

Sure you can.

Bubble wrap the spray can, put it in a box, and ship it. Nobody has to know what is in the box.

I know a paint company that ships all their products standard. They are not marked hazardous, or anything. Standard shipping.

 

But to answer your question, decanted spray paint will last for years in a jar. As long as it is still a liquid, you can shake it up and spray it.

[Dpate]

If you decant into a good jar it’ll last just as long as any other paint. Only thing that would happen is over time solvent could evaporate, so you’d have to add little more. I use Tamiya paint mixing jars 46ML as they’re fantastic. 

[Vintage AMT]

eran k. do not know where your at but you might read this 

https://www.eurosender.com/blog/en/shipping-aerosol-cans/

[eran_k]

I wont be worth to deal with all the regulation and costs for sending 1-3 cans, but since i understand i can decant the paint and it will hold up well, i might do that

[ctruss53]

If you really don't want to mess with decanting and you want those spray cans just package the spray cans in bubble wrap, put them in a box, and ship them like anything else.

Yeah, yeah, technically that is illegal. But you are not hurting anyone if you do it once. Or if you do it every once in a while. Don't get on my case. This is like speeding. We all do it and it is illegal. This is just as harmless.

Yes, any package with spray cans in it could possibly explode. But the odds are so incredibly slim that if your box explodes you better have a lottery ticket, because you just won.

The main reason package companies charge extra for hazardous materials like spray cans is to make businesses pay extra because they are constantly shipping those hazardous materials, so the odds of explosion or contamination increase.

Average Joe that ships one or 2 spray cans once every few years is not what these regulations are trying to prevent. So ship your spray cans as a regular package. Nobody will ever know unless you tell them. If I was in your shoes, I would ship the spray cans to myself in a regular box.

[peteski]

When you decant the paint from a spray can, some of the propellant gas (propane)  is dissolved in a liquid state in the paint.  Unless you let the decanted paint jar sit unsealed for a while, the gas will still build the pressure up in the jar.

The reason for shipping restriction is that both the paint itself (its solvent) and the propellant gas are highly flammable.  If the can somehow bursts open while in transit, any spark could cause explosion.  If the  shipment is in a passenger airplane, if the fire causes the airplane to crash, you will have hundreds of killed passengers.  While the odds of that are low, it could happen.

Edited June 22, 2023 by peteski

[bobthehobbyguy]

24 minutes ago, peteski said:

When you decant the paint from a spray can, some of the propellant gas (propane)  is dissolved in a liquid state in the paint.  Uless you let the decanted paint jar sit unsealed for a while, the gss will still build the pressure up in the jar.

The reason for shipping restriction is that both the paint itself (its solvent) and the propellant gas are highly flammable.  If the can somehow bursts open while in transit, any spark could cause explosion.  If the  shipment is in a passenger airplane, if the fire causes the airplane to crash, you will have hundreds of killed passengers.  While the odds of that are low, it could happen.

And how would you feel if that possible. scenario happens. All rules are established for a reason and too many people feel that don't have to follow the rules.

[ctruss53]

I didn't know this was the Boy Scouts forum.

[jeffp60]

Just be aware that Propellants used in paint spray cans usually are di-methyl ether or a mixture of propane and butane

[bobthehobbyguy]

It's amazing how some can be cavalier by jeopardizing others safety with the potential  devasting consequences from their actions. No how remote the possibility of something happening that is still no guarantee that it wouldn't happen.

Besides if you speed and you a child it would horrible. If you ship paint and the plane it was on crashes you may not know if you were the cause. Guess one could just be in denial that their actions weren't the cause.  But I certainly wouldn't be able be able to sleep at night wondering if I had been the cause.

[peteski]

5 hours ago, ctruss53 said:

I didn't know this was the Boy Scouts forum.

No, just some people who use critical thinking, and sound judgement.

[NOBLNG]

Decanted paint will retain some propellant for quite some time. Are luggage compartments pressurized? If it is shipped by air in an unpressurized luggage compartment, it would quite likely leak or maybe even burst the containers? I doubt if they would allow it in carry on luggage even in regulation size containers.

[Vintage AMT]

14 hours ago, ctruss53 said:

I didn't know this was the Boy Scouts forum.

No... just folks who care about others.

[showrods]

I once decanted a full can of Tamiya primer. I used some and stored the rest in a previously unused, clean Tamiya mixing jar.  

When I went to use the jarred paint some 6 months or so later, I found that the pigment had solidified rock hard in the jar and it was still submersed in the liquid.

My advice on decanting - decant only what you can use immediately and/or in a very short time thereafter.

Edited June 23, 2023 by showrods

[ctruss53]

10 hours ago, NOBLNG said:

Decanted paint will retain some propellant for quite some time. Are luggage compartments pressurized? If it is shipped by air in an unpressurized luggage compartment, it would quite likely leak or maybe even burst the containers? I doubt if they would allow it in carry on luggage even in regulation size containers.

Luggage compartments are not fully pressurized. They are partially pressurized.

And no, propellant will not leak out. The low pressure and low temperatures do not increase the possibility of leakage, they decrease the possibility of leakage.

I could go on and on about how spray cans on airplanes are not a problem. But none of you ever break any laws at all, what so ever. So it is pointless.

[bobthehobbyguy]

Ii would think that the decanting process would induce air into the paint and degrade its shelf life. You would want to use it as soon as possible.

4 hours ago, showrods said:

I once decanted a full can of Tamiya primer. I used some and stored the rest in a previously unused, clean Tamiya mixing jar.  

When I went to use the jarred paint some 6 months or so later, I found that the pigment had solidified rock hard in the jar and it was still submersed in the liquid.

My advice on decanting - decant only what you can use immediately and/or in a very short time thereafter.

[peteski]

2 hours ago, ctruss53 said:

Luggage compartments are not fully pressurized. They are partially pressurized.

And no, propellant will not leak out. The low pressure and low temperatures do not increase the possibility of leakage, they decrease the possibility of leakage.

I could go on and on about how spray cans on airplanes are not a problem. But none of you ever break any laws at all, what so ever. So it is pointless.

Thank you for your obviously expert opinion.  I find it highly valuable advice. I could go on, about certain effect, but I better not.

[peteski]

5 hours ago, showrods said:

I once decanted a full can of Tamiya primer. I used some and stored the rest in a previously unused, clean Tamiya mixing jar.  

When I went to use the jarred paint some 6 months or so later, I found that the pigment had solidified rock hard in the jar and it was still submersed in the liquid.

I  also decanted a large amount of Tamiya Fine White Primer 10 yeaars ago (yes, I actually put dates on my paint bottles), and sure, the solids settle down in the bottle, but what is left (about 1/4 of the bottle is still as usable as it was the day I decanted it. I just verified it.  I do have to shake the bejesus out of the bottle to mix it.  Same thing with other decanted paints - the  solids will settle in the bottom of the bottle.  Same thing happens inside the can. That is why they put the glass marble in the can (the rattle). It is to help dispersing the solids back into he liquid.  I add couple of pea-size glass beads to my decanted bottles for the same reason.

If in your example the solids would not mix with the liquid then something unusual must have happened (or maybe you didn't try to shake the bottle vigorously enough).

[showrods]

2 hours ago, peteski said:

I  also decanted a large amount of Tamiya Fine White Primer 10 yeaars ago (yes, I actually put dates on my paint bottles), and sure, the solids settle down in the bottle, but what is left (about 1/4 of the bottle is still as usable as it was the day I decanted it. I just verified it.  I do have to shake the bejesus out of the bottle to mix it.  Same thing with other decanted paints - the  solids will settle in the bottom of the bottle.  Same thing happens inside the can. That is why they put the glass marble in the can (the rattle). It is to help dispersing the solids back into he liquid.  I add couple of pea-size glass beads to my decanted bottles for the same reason.

If in your example the solids would not mix with the liquid then something unusual must have happened (or maybe you didn't try to shake the bottle vigorously enough).

A vigorous shaking that yielded nothing was what prompted me to poke the calcified pigment in the bottle.  Believe me - no amount of shaking was going to rectify that.  It was ROCK HARD LOL

The primer I decanted was Tamiya pink.  Don't know if that was a factor or not.

[NOBLNG]

8 hours ago, ctruss53 said:

Luggage compartments are not fully pressurized. They are partially pressurized.

And no, propellant will not leak out. The low pressure and low temperatures do not increase the possibility of leakage, they decrease the possibility of leakage.

I could go on and on about how spray cans on airplanes are not a problem. But none of you ever break any laws at all, what so ever. So it is pointless.

I was speaking about taking decanted containers of paint aboard a plane. That is what the OP asked about.

[peteski]

10 hours ago, ctruss53 said:

The low pressure and low temperatures do not increase the possibility of leakage, they decrease the possibility of leakage.

The decreased ambient air pressure will actually create a larger pressure differential between the ambient air, and the pressurized gas inside the can. But it is true that low temperature will decrease the pressure inside an aerosol can.  I'm not sure though that the lower temperature will mitigate the difference of the ambient air pressure.  But this all is just peeing into the wind, if you catch my wet drift.

[Bainford]

On 6/23/2023 at 9:43 PM, peteski said:

  But this all is just peeing into the wind, if you catch my wet drift.

I stepped aside, to avoid it.