I should point out first that I'm not a chemist, but I'm currently doing a little bit of chemistry; this should clarify that I don't have formal training in a chemistry lab (other than some basic chem classes in my BS).
So the question is this: what is standard practice for keeping salts moisture free if you can't afford a nitrogen generator system (or afford to swap nitrogen tanks out continuously with a desiccator chamber)?
I currently use iridium tetrachloride and I find that a few months after receipt, I have sludge (it's highly hygroscopic). I've tried storing in a tightly sealed bag with desiccant packs (the sealed kind) to no avail. I tried storing in a vacuum chamber but I can't hold vacuum for more than a few hours unless I have it on vacuum continuously (or hook it back up regularly).
I've been told by a local chemist that a simple vacuum desiccator chamber with a bunch of consumable silica gel at the bottom is about the best I can do, I just have to regularly pull vacuum again and swap the silica gel as soon as I see color change.
Thoughts?