DK-76.

I saw a formula for a developer called DK-76 which is the basic D-76/ID-11 formula, except that the Borax is replaced

with an equal weight of Sodium Metaborate. Is this an official `Kodak` formula and what is it designed for over regular

D-76/ID-11 ? The DK-76b formula also published on the same website (below) is of no interest to me.

 

http://www.digitaltruth.com/techdata/dk76.php

In the 1940 version of the Kodak Formulas handbook, the advantage cited for replacing borax with Kodalk was a faster working developer. With a typical developing time in D-76 of 17 minutes in 1940, a faster developer would have been very appreciated. That was mostly with higher quantities of Kodalk than the DK-76 formula you linked to. (It took a lot more borax if you wanted to speed up D-76.)

 

With current films being much faster to develop, and a tendency towards lower contrast indexes, one generally doesn't need D-76 to be sped up very much.

Thanks John, I wasn`t sure if it was a genuine Kodak formula or not and wanted to find out a bit about the reason for DK-76 over the standard formula. I wont bother making it though.

Keith, if you lurk about in old book stores, you might see if you can find an old CRC Chemistry Handbook, they used to include formulae for developers. I think you may have to look for one from the 50's, but am pretty sure the price will be low enough to give you something of interest.

 

I have not mixed my own for a long time, but perhaps the alchemy will return. ;-)