hypo clearing agent, gets globs of stuff???

[josephdisipio]

<p>I have used various hypo-clearing agents, and my most recent is Arista. With all of them, I will mix just what I need for either film, or paper, marked and stored differently, and I notice with the h/p/c/a for prints, when I pour it from the plastic jug, which I store it in, it usually has a bunch of glob stuff that comes out??? I don't know what this is, but I find that when mixed fresh, it doesn't have this, and only after storing it in the plastic jug for some time, (not months) weeks at the most, a kind of scum, (glob) forms? Does anyone else have this problem, and I don't know what I am doing wrong, nothing I believe as I mix it according to the directions, etc. Thanks, any help will be greatly appreciated.<br>

Joseph</p>

[john_shriver]

<p>Probably something growing in it. Try sterlizing your bottle with boiling water. But HCA and Photo Flo working solutions are subject to growing stuff.</p>

[chris_raney]

<p>Sodium sulfite, the primary ingredient in clearing agents, is a dirt-cheap chemical that you should be able to purchase in bulk at any chemical supplier. Make up a concentrated gallon of the stuff and dilute with water for use. I use it and then dump it, especially since it helps leach that purply die out of Tri-X. This will save you a bundle of cash over the long run. Oh, and I suggest recycling the plastics bottles and go to old-fashioned brown glass. </p>

[john_stockdale2]

<p>I get this forming in all processing liquids that I'v mixed from powder in tap water (which is not bad where I live). It's just some sort of impurity (probably in the powder and in the water) that for some reason aggregates into a cloud. Although it doesn't look good I've never known it to cause a problem.</p>

<p>I couldn't agree more with Chris. Buy some sodium sulfite in bulk. Dissolve 200g/L for stock, dilute that 1+9 for working solution.</p>

[Fotohuis RoVo]

<p>For film any HCA is more or less a waste of money. For fiber/baryta papers you have the choice of Sodiumsulfite or (even more cheaper) Sodiumcarbonate (Household Soda). The last one is sold in Europe (mostly in Decahydrate) for 0,70 Eurct. each kilogram. You can use a 1% solution, 10g/ltr. for 2-3 minutes between the wash cycle.</p>

<p>For Decahydrate you have to correct the molucular weight:<br>

Decahydrate Soda which means 10. H2O. Na2CO3.<br /><br />1 mol Na2CO3 = 106g<br />1 mol 10.H2O.Na2CO3 = 286g<br /><br />Using Decahydrate Soda you need: 286/106 * 10g= 27g Household Soda. Which is 0,02 Eurct.<br>

The only disadvantage of Soda is that the emulsion will be just a bit softer during the treatment. So take care about scratching the paper.</p>

<p>Best regards,</p>

<p>Robert</p>

<p> </p>

[john_stockdale2]

<p>Kodak research found that sulfite was a better wash aid than carbonate.</p>

[Fotohuis RoVo]

<p>It's a little bit more effective and doesn't has the disadvantage of a softer emulsion.<br>

But it is more costly while Agfa recommended the Sodiumcarbonate solution.</p>

[chris_raney]

<p>Wherever you live in the world sodium sulfite is extremely common, and is fairly inexpensive. I purchased 50 pounds for something like a dollar a pound. </p>