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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!oliveb!tymix!kanner
From: kanner@tymix.UUCP (Herb Kanner)
Newsgroups: net.rec.photo
Subject: Re: Photo Chemicals
Message-ID: <505@tymix.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 4-Sep-85 13:26:19 EDT
Article-I.D.: tymix.505
Posted: Wed Sep  4 13:26:19 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 6-Sep-85 02:47:42 EDT
References: <1457@cbosgd.UUCP>
Reply-To: kanner@tymix.UUCP (Herb Kanner)
Organization: Tymnet Inc., Cupertino CA
Lines: 33
Keywords: Developer
Summary: 

In article <1457@cbosgd.UUCP> fohl@cbosgd.UUCP (Mark Fohl) writes:
>
>Help!  I recently bought a package of Kodak's Selectol Soft paper developer.
>Knowing I wouldn't be using it often, I divided the contents into four equal
>amounts, intending to mix a quart at a time.  When I weighed the contents, I
>put them into garden variety baggies for storage, fastening the tops with
>twist ties.  A mere two weeks later, I mixed the first batch.  I thought some-
>ting was fishy when I noticed the twist-tie had turned brown.  After mixing
>the stuff in water, it turned just an awful shade of brown.  I realize the
>stuff must have oxidized, so I pitched the rest of it.  Can anyone out there
>recommend something for storing dry photo chemicals?  I keep the stuff in my
>basement where the humidity is fairly high.  I'd appreciate any suggestions.
>Replies over the net are OK.
>
In general, even ignoring your apparent problem with humidity, it is a bad
idea to subdivide any mixture that is in powder form.  This is because the
different components will have different particle sizes and the smaller
particles will tend to migrate to the bottom of the package.  Thus, you
have no assurance of a uniform mixture when you divide up the batch.  You
don't even know if the manufacturer went to any pains to mix the components
well.

Many commercial paper developers over the past decade have had their
formula changed to replace metol with phenidone.  The ones using the latter
have excellent keeping properties.  I do not know specifically about
Selectol.  However, you might consider Ilford's Phenidone, which I buy in
gallon batches.  The gallon is a stock solution, which is diluted with
three parts of water for use.  I have kept the stock solution for over a
year with no noticeable discoloration and no apparent change in behavior.
-- 
Herb Kanner
Tymnet, Inc.
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