can antifreeze eat through #2 plastic?

[The_Jeff]

Have a couple of gallons of used ordinary ethylene glycol 50-50 antifreeze in #2 plastic jugs (an old milk bottle and an old windshield washer fluid jug). The two of those are in a large flat tupperware storage bin, and one leaked a bit. (I had a gallon and a half, now two half gallons.) The outer container caught this mess and I'm cleaning it up.

Are these bottles no good because the biodegrade? I use them for oil too but have had no problems yet (knock wood). Is there something in the antifreeze that eats jugs more?

Would store in antifreeze OE bottles, but once mixed to working strength I have twice the used as I had new.

 

[kenw]

those bottles will certainly degrade over time, it's a feature for landfill volume reduction. The chemicals you have in them may be speeding it up a bit, but I don't know that part for certain.

Get thee to yon recycler.....

 

[dkcase]

H-m-m-m-m

I don't know about antifreeze, but I have left used motor oil in an old milk bottle too long, and they have split.

Windshield washer fluid bottle ? Uh Oh. I have one with gear oil in it-- because the pump fits it.
I'd better check to see how it's holding up..

 

[labman]

Chemically, there shouldn't be any problem. However the milk jugs are flimsy, and maybe short on anti aging additives. I used them for a while for used oil jugs, but had too many leaks. I like the one gallon detergent bottles. they are made out of the same thing too. Not only are they much sturdier, but they have nice wide mouths making it easier to pour the oil in.

 

[MONKEYMAN]

If it was the milk jug that was leaking, it will leak no matter what you put in it. All you need to do is dent it a few times. I used to unload 25 old milk jugs filled with well water when I was a monk. About 5 would come back leaking, and many times you could see the dent mark.

 

[CoolantChemist]

We use type-3 plastic bottles for sample storage of 2 years or more and I have seen no issues.