Blood banks store red blood cells for up to 42 days using preservatives and refrigeration, or up to 10 years if frozen. Platelets are stored at room temperature for up to five days. White blood cells are rarely transfused and must be used within 24 hours of donation.

Without anticlotting agents or other preservation techniques, blood begins to clot and/or evaporate. Platelets are destroyed in the process of clot formation, but the red and white blood cells would probably survive until the liquid portion of the blood evaporated, which can take seconds to hours depending on the amount of blood and the surface area exposed to the air. In the case of slow evaporation, the remaining blood plasma becomes increasingly concentrated, drawing water out of the blood cells and killing them before the blood has dried completely.
Source(s):
http://www.aabb.org/AABBContent/Templates/AABBSub.aspx?NRMODE=Published&...{3A25F398-BFFA-4909-9257-B673AD063A2C}&NRORIGINALURL=%2fContent%2fAbout_Blood%2fFAQ%2fbloodfaq.htm&NRCACHEHINT=NoModifyGuest#a10
http://www.aabb.org/Content/About_Blood/Facts_About_Blood_and_Blood_Banking...
http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/C/Clotting.html


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