Mixing XTOL

[charles_eliason1]

<p>Being used to mixing powdered developers with heated water in order to get the powder to dissolve effienciently I mixed XTOL accordingly. While researching and reading about XTOL I discovered that one of its benefits is being able to mix it using room temperature water.<br>

Have I compromised the chemical in any way by using heated water ?<br>

My wife owns a coffee shop and heavily filters her water for chlorine, Iron, and has a reverse osmosis filter in the line as well. So, I generally use filtered, heated water from one of the large brewers to mix with. (They have a large tap on the side to pull hot water from.) It's set at 190 F.</p>

<p>Thanks,<br>

Charles</p>

 

[peterbcarter]

<p>That's a good one. Time will tell....</p>

[charles_eliason1]

<p>That is funny. I'll make sure to go ahead and use it.</p>

[peterbcarter]

<p>Like it's 11ish a bag. Through a test roll through it. I don't expect there would actually be an issue.</p>

[lex_jenkins]

<p>As my granddad used to counsel me, when all else fails, read the instructions. On alternate days he mostly cussed because he didn't heed his own advice.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.freestylephoto.biz/pdf/msds/kodak/Xtol_Developer.pdf">Kodak's MSDS for Xtol</a> reads:</p>

<blockquote>

<p>Inhalation: May be harmful if inhaled. Airborne dust irritating. In contact with strong acid <em><strong>or if heated</strong></em>, sulphites may liberate suphur dioxide gas. Sulphur dioxide gas is irritating to the respiratory tract. Some asthmatics or hypersensitive individuals may experience difficult breathing.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>The <a href="http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/support/techPubs/j109/j109.pdf">technical data sheet</a> reads:</p>

<blockquote>

<p>"Ascorbic acid-based black and white film developer."</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Ascorbic acid is known to break down in heat, which is why nutritionists recommend against over-heating foods containing vitamin C.</p>

<p>Whether this affects Xtol as a developer, I don't know. But Kodak's instructions recommend using water at "normal room temperature, about 65 to 85 degrees F."</p>

<p>In my limited experience with Xtol, it dissolves readily in room temperature water. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/ishootfilm/discuss/72157625917500858/">Some users report premature exhaustion of Xtol after mixing it in hot water</a>. There's probably no need to use very hot water, 190 degrees F as you've described.</p>

[charles_eliason1]

<p>Hot it may be, but to make my wife's espresso and coffee clientele happy you wouldn't believe the filtration involved.</p>

[jim_norman2]

<p>On the other side is the risk of using water too cool, which inhibits or causes the dissolving process to fail. I agree with the "follow the instructions" advice. XTOL is a great developer.</p>

[charles_eliason1]

<p>The one thing that I have learned from this escapade in chemistry is to read the manufacture's MSDS sheet for the particular product that you may be working with. After all, these are chemicals that could produce harmful byproducts that you may not be aware of as Lex pointed out from information that he pulled from the MSDS sheet for XTOL. That information is not included in the product packaging. Who would have thought that temperature could create such an effect, not me anyway.<br>

If I had been a film photographer and operated a darkroom in college I probably would have had higher grades in chem 101.<br>

Thanks for the responses,<br>

Charles</p>

 

[peterbcarter]

<p>The big thing here, XTol is one of the products you can mix with tap water.</p>

<p>However you can still use the filtered water; just let it cool first. I have a distiller and water strait out of the still is quite warm. I let my water cool for at least 4 hrs before I use it. I have a 20 liter jug with a tap. I just fill that first and use it from there.</p>

[charles_eliason1]

<p>This morning I mixed a fresh batch using filtered water. The water temp was 70 deg F. The chemicals dissolved perfectly. I wish Dektol mixed as easy.</p>

[john_stockdale2]

<p>Your treated water allowed to return to a lower temperature in a full closed container would be ideal.</p>

<p>I use warm water to mix double-strength Xtol on the assumption that a stronger solution will keep better. Also storage space is less. I dilute for use.</p>

<p>But 190degF is a bit hot!</p>

[ian_gordon_bilson]

<p>Well Charles,<br>

you have answered your own question -mixing Dektol is a B*tch...I have to use power tools to get it into solution. Mixing Xtol is a walk in the park.<br>

As the man said -if all else fails,read the directions.<br>

Oddly enough,this works better for Xtol than it does for Dektol.</p>

[Didier Lamy]

<p>Use car battery-grade demineralized water at room temperature, works much faster than tap water. And a magnetic stirrer (<a href="http://www.sciencelab.com/page/S/CTGY/21761">http://www.sciencelab.com/page/S/CTGY/21761</a>) helps a lot too.</p>