Storing meths in aluminium.

[Laurentius]

I have had the thought of carrying methylated spirit in one of those cheap aluminium water bottles you get from poundland. One of them is just the right size to use with a Swiss volcano stove, on top of a trangia burner, and it all fits together very neatly.

The question is does methylated spirits corrode aluminium or otherwise react with it?

 

[santaman2000]

The real question is: How safe is it to store a toxic material in something that looks like a drinking bottle?

 

[cranmere]

What Santaman said, I would paint some kind of warning on it so that it stands out as not a drinking water bottle. Also, it depends on what the sealing O ring is made of. I had one that got brittle and disintegrated after a while of being exposed to meths.

 

[ozzy1977]

The Sigg fuel bottle I have is unpainted inside and out, I guess this is to stop fuel degrading the paint and buggering up the fuel, it also says fuel on the out side

 

[tedw]

Meths reacted with a Sigg fuel bottle I had, turning the spirit dirty black. When I took it back to the shop, they could not explain it but gave me my money back. I spent that on one of the Trangia heavy-duty plastic fuel bottles - far superior and highly recommended.

 

[Johnnyboy1971]

The Sigg fuel bottle I have has a gold colored coating on the inside where as the Sigg drinks bottle doesn't.

 

[Toddy]

I did what Laurentius is proposing about three years ago, and the bottle and seal are still fine. So's the fuel.
Just dip a cotton bud in nitromors or cellulose thinners and 'write' METHS on the side and it's all good I bought the purple one so it actually reminded me of meths.

With hindsight (well, truthfully, with all the warnings from other folks) I think I'd use the bottle when it was needed and maybe decant the meths when not.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Riven]

I store meths in a Sigg aluminium bottle year round and only use the plastic trangia bottle when camping out as it is easier to pour into the burner.
It has had no effect on the alu bottle or meths stored in it. Point is a good Sigg bottle lasts for years.
Riven.

 

[rik_uk3]

As I said on a similar thread only last week, be wary of the seals on some cheap fuel bottles as the meths degrades the seal. Better off with a Trangia fuel bottle which comes with a safe pourer.