Multi-Etch Product

[Sharperthansticks]

I purchased a product called "Multi-Etch." (This thread is not about etching something multiple times; it's about the product called "Multi-Etch.") The product is reasonably expensive, as those few of you who have purchased it will know. (I'll be surprised if many people who are reading this have purchased Multi-Etch.) The directions say that you need to dump all of the powder in the bag into distilled water. Specifically, the directions say that you cannot use just a portion of the powder (leaving the rest dry). Why is that? Is it because the manufacturer is afraid that you'll wind up accidentally mistake it for salt or sugar or whatever and you'll eat it (which would be very bad, since it's poison)? Or is it that once you open the bag, it starts reacting with air and loses its potency? (Did they prepare it in a semi-vacuum?) I don't want to prepare the whole gallon's worth, because it will probably go bad within a year, while the powdered form should last at least 10 times as long. This question is really directed to people who have used the substance; I'm not asking people to take a guess. Thanks for your help.

 

[l1ranger]

ask them
info@multietch.com

 

[WValtakis]

I've always mixed it as directed in the gallon jug provided. I keep my using quantity in a Nalgene bottle that gets refilled as it gets depleted from heating. I've been anodizing for over 10 years, I've only bought two jugs in that time and I've never had any problems with it.

~Chip

 

[Sharperthansticks]

I've always mixed it as directed in the gallon jug provided. I keep my using quantity in a Nalgene bottle that gets refilled as it gets depleted from heating. I've been anodizing for over 10 years, I've only bought two jugs in that time and I've never had any problems with it.

~Chip

Thanks for your input. The manufacturer says that once you mix the powder into solution, it will last "at least 8 months," which didn't sound promising, so I wound up using their original ratio of 1 gallon: 1.18lbs of product to calculate how many grams of product is need to mix with .75 cups of water. (Answer = 25g.) I filled a large pill bottle with .75 cups of distilled water, added 25 grams of crystals, and nuked it to get hot. Perfect. I used less than 5% of the product, taped up the original bag of crystals, and double bagged it to keep out air.