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Residual developer in negatives?


michael_veit

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I just developed 8 sheets of Tri-x in Rodinal 1/100 and found one had been ruined by a hair which somehow got stuck to it in the process. Since the negative was trash anyway, I decided to experiment and stuck it into hot water to see effects of reticulation, whether I could melt the emulsion, etc... I was just fooling around. The first water bath was very hot, I didn't measure the temp, but we're talking hot enough to be uncomfortable to the touch (I don't do things by half-measures.) My question is this: within seconds of immersing the negative, parts of it darkened considerably, is it possible that there was residual developer in the thing which was activated by the temperature? I must say this was a surprise and has me a bit confused and worried.

 

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-Michael

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Michael: Maybe you scorched it. Seriously, it is an interesting

effect. I do know that hot water will remove the emulsion. I once had

a trainee wash six rolls of 120 film in hot water and left a clear

film base. He turned the water on and left, not realizing he had

turned on the hot water. Let us know if you do more experimenting and

get the darkening effect.

 

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Regards,

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I've dissolved the emulsion off scrap glass plates many times, just to

get a piece of thin glass, and I've never seen an effect like you

describe.<br>Maybe the film wasn't fixed properly.<p>BTW, the way to

remove the emulsion efficiently is to use a caustic solution. A warm

5% sodium or potassium hydroxide bath takes the emulsion off much

quicker than hot water alone. (Use rubber gloves and don't get it on

your skin or clothes. It eats through cotton quite quickly too!)

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