Storing chemicals

[kris-bochenek]

<p>I have been developing Black and white films for a while now, but the more I learn the more questions I have. This time I have few questions regarding storing the chemicals. Lets start with the beginning. I premix my Stop and Fixer and store them in black industrial grade bottles in about 72F in dark A/C area. I usually use the fixer and Stop for about 12-15 rolls of 120, and I dump it and premix the new batches. Developers I keep in original factory bottles. I use Adox Adonal. First bottle I got in January of 2012 (prior to that I used Ilfosol) Turned dark with time, but it still worked fine as far as I could tell. The new one I just got few weeks ago I too keep in OEM bottle. Now the questions. Would keeping my premixed Fix and Stop in Amber glass bottles have any beneficial effects on the chemicals? Would re bottling Adox Adonal from OEM plastic to Amber bottle be better for the developer? Would it last longer than the factory bottles would allow for? In a nutshell, would storing developers and other chemistry in Amber bottles (photo grade) be better for them than storing them in plastic? Would it be OK to mix older batch of Adonal with a new fresh one? or it would be better to just keep them as they are? How long does Adox Adonal should last in a bottle that's brand new? Thank you in advance.</p>

[photojim]

<p>Developers tend to benefit from better storage, but it depends on the developer. In general, keeping developers out of the light and avoiding exposure to oxygen will extend their life. However, some multi-part developers (PMK comes to mind) and some highly concentrated developers (HC-110 and Rodinal come to mind) are rather resistant to degradation and can last for many years in storage.<br>

<br />How long do you expect your developer stock solutions to be in their bottles before they're used up?<br>

As for your other chemicals, stop bath is just acetic or citric acid so seems rather immune to age effects within reason. Fixer will deteriorate slowly with age but again, it lasts a long time. The gospel is about six months but I have gotten a year and more if I store it in dark full bottles.<br>

<br />Cooler is better, to a point. 72 F is 22 C so that isn't too bad. My darkroom tends to hover in the mid-teens C except when in use.</p>

[glen_h]

<blockquote>

<p>Fixer will deteriorate slowly with age but again, it lasts a long time. The gospel is about six months but I have gotten a year and more if I store it in dark full bottles.</p>

</blockquote>

<p><br />As far as I know regular (sodium thiosulfate) fixer keeps pretty well. The life for ammonium thiosulfate seems to be shorter. I believe that the ammonia evaporates, though well sealed bottles that should slow it down. I have thought about adding more ammonia, but haven't tried it yet.<br>

Glass bottles with marbles to fill up the space and with good seals on the caps should help.</p>

[kris-bochenek]

<p>Once mixed up my Rapidfix sits in the black plastic bottle for no more than 3 months. After that it gets "used up" or I just toss it due to age. Adox Adonal (Rodinal) I go trough a bottle within 8-9 months. I just got a brand new bottle - what is the life expectancy of un-opened bottle?</p>

[cj8281]

<p>The life expectancy of an unopened bottle is the same for an opened bottle, YEARS. There is a case of a bottle of Rodinal that was found in the 1960's in a darkroom that was bombed during World War II, worked just as it should. I don't think it was "stored" in optimal conditions. Use it until it is gone. I personally have never heard of Rodinal going bad. <br>

Fixer should be properly disposed of and not dumped into the sewer. You can test for exhaustion in your fixer and use it til it is spent. Why throw out what is still good? My fixer was mixed last year and still tests fine. </p>

[chris_waller]

<p>I mix up my print processing chemicals and store them in old 2-litre domestic bleach bottles which have air-tight, child-proof caps. I replenish the print developer at frequent intervals until it becomes 'tired' then I dispose of it. I mix up my film processing stop and fix and similarly store these in old bleach bottles. I use indicating stop so that I know when it's exhausted. I keep a careful record of film fixer usage (I use the two-bath fixing method) and dispose of it when exhausted. I filter both the stop and fixer at intervals to remove any particles which might adhere to the film.<br>

<br />I use Rodinal and, in the 30 years that I have used it, it has never let me down. I keep it in its original white/translucent plastic bottle and it has never yet gone off on me- Rodinal seems to last forever.</p>

[Fotohuis RoVo]

<p>The life expectancy of Adox Adonal / Rodinal / R09 o.s. of the original Agfa Rodinal formulae is very long.<br>

It is an exception in liquid developers. Opened or not open bottle going from light Yellow/Orange to Brown, dark Brown and even almost Black it will still work and so no need to put this developer out of the original Silar plastic bottle. Even when dark Brown with crystals on the bottom, keep the crystals in the bottle it works.</p>

<p>I did a densiometric test for Rodinal / APX 100, new and 4 years old and the deviation is really in the margin of the densitometer.</p>

<p>Last forever is a big word because then I would like to do a test of > 30/50 years old Rodinal. I am using this developer since 1967 and so far it always worked for me.</p>

[david_lyga]

<p>I use PET plastic bottles, filled to the rim. (Gatorade, soft drinks, etc). Use glass marbles to take up the slack. NEVER goes bad. And they are stored in normal indoor lighting. Some PET plastic is slightly flexible (Pepsi) and can be squeezed a bit. - David Lyga</p>

[peter_trenchard]

<p>Ilford info sheet for Ilfostop citric acid stopbath says the working strength solution has a storage life of 7 working days, whatever that means. I use acetic acid stopbath and I mix a 2% solution 2.7 litres and store it in a brown glass Winchester bottle. Its storage life seems to be forever or when the equivalent of 100 8x10 FB prints have passed through it, then I dump it. Fixer for film I discard after one use only and for paper after one or 2 print sessions only, or 7 days whichever comes first.</p>

[Fotohuis RoVo]

<p>The Citric Acid limitation has to do with a posssible bacteria grow. Normally it is not an issue but it can while in Acetid Acid this is not possible.</p>