RL-15 Powder turned white

[53moose320Elk]

I was checking on some of my RL-15 powder , and I noticed 1 bottle seemed light , thought I might have used some of it.
I was going to added it to another bottle of same powder, when I looked inside the powder has turned white
Has anybody had this happen to powder before? The bottle weighed 10 oz
Here’s a couple pics , 1 is normal , the other has turned cream white colour ??
I bought these from budget shooter December 2016 , the other 3 bottles are normal Color , all stored same, all same production group.
Any idea what happened ?

 

[M&P 40]

Powder has gone bad, it most likely will smell acidic too which is another indication it’s no good.

 

[B]

Looks like ground oats or something..? I have never seen powder turn white and become a different shape. Red dust sort of like rust starts to show up in most cases I recall.

 

[Potashminer]

I will go with Post #3 - that does not look like any sort of smokeless powder that I have seen?? Somebody re-purposing a container without changing the label???

 

[Ganderite]

Looks like you stored some Cream of Wheat in an old powder bottle....

 

[53moose320Elk]

Here’s a closer pic , no I did not store anything else in the bottles
The creamy white stuff is not even close the shape of the other rl15 powder
There both from the same batch of powder
No smell at all to the white stuff, doesn’t even look like any kind of powder I have seen!
Only thing I can think of is somebody along the shipping line decided they wanted some powder and switched it out ?

 

[M&P 40]

It doesn’t even look like powder, with the bigger picture. Wow

 

[45C]

Light up a small amount ,see if it burns the same as the good powder.

 

[Suther]

Sure doesn't look like any powder I have used!

 

[beltfed]

That looks like walnut shell blasting or tumbling media....
Spread it in the garden.

 

[zuke]

Did you buy it new or used?
Does it burn?

 

[Ruger007]

I would say someone did a switch-o-roo on you. Reminds me of filling the whiskey bottles when I was a kid.

If these where sealed. My bet is at the factory level. I don't see budget shooters doing this. Have any shooting friends over lately?

 

[53moose320Elk]

Tried to burn it, no go matches would burn , put paper towel under neath some , paper burnt , some on top turned black but other stuff would not burn
Powder was bought new from Budget shooter supply December , 2016,
I have had no problems dealing with them on anything I have bought from them
I contacted ALLIANT POWDER co, about it
They got back to me and requested some pics , so I sent them some
We will see what they have to say

 

[Chumlee Bumsnag]

That looks like walnut shell blasting or tumbling media....
Spread it in the garden.

It does look like polishing media. Put it in the tumbler with some dirty brass for a couple of hours and see what happens.

 

[45C]

View attachment 583606View attachment 583605
Tried to burn it, no go matches would burn , put paper towel under neath some , paper burnt , some on top turned black but other stuff would not burn
Powder was bought new from Budget shooter supply December , 2016,
I have had no problems dealing with them on anything I have bought from them
I contacted ALLIANT POWDER co, about it
They got back to me and requested some pics , so I sent them some
We will see what they have to say

Taste it .. lol

 

[53moose320Elk]

I would say someone did a switch-o-roo on you. Reminds me of filling the whiskey bottles when I was a kid.

If these where sealed. My bet is at the factory level. I don't see budget shooters doing this. Have any shooting friends over lately?

Nobody has access to my powder so nothing done here to the powder, I’m thinking factory level also , no problems ever with budget shooters

 

[B]

Maybe Henry accidentally shipped you a bottle that was for display? That was never gunpowder of any kind.

 

[Raton57]

You were not doing reduced loads at one time were you. Did you taste it. .

 

[Keller]

Looks exactly like tumbling media. Somebody try to burn some old corn cob media and see if it does the same thing.

 

[Els-]

Looks like the ancient white powder , (black powder/ brown powder/ white powder)
Was an attempt to make powder with sugar instead of charcoal. If you do any black powder stuff I could see it being put into an old empty jug.

More logically it would be a potassium nitrate reaction from it getting damp/wet, and unless it stays damp it will recrystalize and form the larger flakes/crystals that your seeing.
But I would think by now with it being smokeless it would be nitrocellulose and usually contain nitroglycerin as well. Neither of these would have the appearance of white crystals