Shelf life of developing agents?

[David Swinnard]

One of the local camera shops still has some bulk photo chemicals,
including hydroquinone and Elon (Kodak's name for metol?) in wide-mouth
plastic screw-top containers. I'm guessing these have been around for a
while (the dust on the container made me wonder...). The $64 question
is - should I take a chance on these (esp. the dev. agents) or should I
pass them by?

Regarding Phenidone... I've a small brown bottle of the dry form that
I've had since the mid '80s - always been in the dark - is it a tosser
or is it likely to be viable still? (it was ignored for so long as kids
happened in the intervening years... I've time again.)

Thanks, Dave

[John]

Toss the old stuff. I'll chance 5-10 but not more. As you
are in or near canada, I recommend Johnny DeIure at

http://www.colba.net/~fotochem/

Regards

John S. Douglas, Photographer
http://www.darkroompro.net

[Gene A. Townsend]

On Tue, 26 Mar 2002 16:52:54 GMT, David Swinnard
<davids...@shaw.ca> wrote:

>One of the local camera shops still has some bulk photo chemicals,
>including hydroquinone and Elon (Kodak's name for metol?) in wide-mouth
>plastic screw-top containers. I'm guessing these have been around for a
>while (the dust on the container made me wonder...). The $64 question
>is - should I take a chance on these (esp. the dev. agents) or should I
>pass them by?

I've been using out of the same wide-mouth 1 pound container of Kodak
Elon for the last 30 years with no troubles at all. Go for it, if for
a discount price.
>
GAT

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[Richard Knoppow]

David Swinnard <davids...@shaw.ca> wrote:

Elon is Metol (try that as a motto to confuse people).
If the bottles are unopened there is a chance the stuff is still
good. Metol/Elon and Hydroquinone turn brown as they oxidize. Badly
oxidized Hydroquinone looks like coffee grounds and has a disgusting
odor. If they are white or nearly so they are still good.
Carbonate, especially the monohydrated form, is almost certainly
still good. Anhydrous carbonate can absorb some moisture from the air
(it becomes monohydrated) but is OK if in a sealed bottle.
Sodium Sulfite becomes sulfate on exposure to air. A reasonably full
bottle is probably OK.
Not sure about the Phenidone. Its a white powder when fresh. I think
it turns gray and eventually black as it oxidizes.
If the chemicals are cheap they are worth exploring, especially if
they are in unopened containers. It depends on the price and whether
you are willing to gamble a little. Some photochemicals are available
very cheaply from non-photo sources such as soap making suppliers and
swimming pool supplies. Most photo chemicals do not have to have a
high degree of purity but must be free of certain impurities (such as
trace metals) to avoid problems with, for example, fogging.
---
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles, CA, USA.
dick...@ix.netcom.com