BSA1
member
Is there a ideal temperature for long term storage of powder and primers? I have a basement storage room that averages from 54 - 58 degrees in the winter and in the 60's in the summer with normal humdity 60 - 70%.
During prolonged periods of storage, the rate of chemical deterioration of propellant is approximately doubled for every 10°C rise in temperature above 30°C. Most propellants, dependent on design, have a shelf-life of at least 15 to 40 years when stored at a constant 30°C, and will last much longer in temperate climates. In high heat environments the stabilizer is depleted far quicker and the probability of spontaneous combustion due to autocatalytic ignition becomes much higher. There is evidence that suggests that the reduction in shelf life versus temperature is as shown in Table 1.