Shelf live Fixer stock

[Cor]

I guess we all have had those fixer stock plastic containers with a ugly smelly yellow sulphur precipitate in it.

I was wondering what process is causing this, and how (if possible) to prevent it.

I noticed that the fixer containers I have are of HDPE (2) plastic, and this plastic is quite permeable for oxygen. Will oxygen accelare the detoriation of fixer, ie would transfering the fixer stock to glass botttles help ?

Thanks,

Cor

[Tin Can]

Fixer must age somehow in the plastic bottles, I also am interested if brown glass bottles would make it last longer.

I use gas burst with compressed room air and my last 4 gallons of fixer was good for several years and never smelled even after many uses in compressed room air agitation.

My latest batch has smelled from day one.

I always mix with distilled water. After mix, I store in Arkay floating lid 2 gallon dispensers, plastic. Or I leave film fixer in my stainless steel tanks with double sealed lids.

TF5 seems to last a very long time even with my gas burst system. I check clearing time every use with X-Ray strips. Very fast clearing always. I change it out by sheet count usage.

Regardless I will change to brown glass bottle storage soon as the cost is not that high from B&H with free shipping.

[Mark Sampson]

If there's precipitate in the bottom of the bottle the fixer is no good. Glass bottles may help long-term storage of fresh concentrate... better just to buy reasonable quantities of fixer and use it before it goes bad. The shelf life of newly-purchased rapid fixer concentrate should be at least two years... make pictures and use it up.

[Sfroza]

Check with ULINE they have brown/amber wide mouth and conventional mouth bottles at a competitive price.

Michael

[PhilH]

I keep my fixer in glass reagent bottles and keep track of what goes through it; it only goes black when it's close to exhaustion.

[Tin Can]

I just did, their prices are cheap, but wide mouth amber is max 32 oz and only 1/2 gallon amber.

Shipping IS high, no go for me.

I want four 1 gal amber and B&H has them.

Best to buy any glass by the case.

Thanks!


Check with ULINE they have brown/amber wide mouth and conventional mouth bottles at a competitive price.

Michael

[Pere Casals]

I guess we all have had those fixer stock plastic containers with a ugly smelly yellow sulphur precipitate in it.
I was wondering what process is causing this, and how (if possible) to prevent it.

I noticed that the fixer containers I have are of HDPE (2) plastic, and this plastic is quite permeable for oxygen. Will oxygen accelare the detoriation of fixer, ie would transfering the fixer stock to glass botttles help ?


Yes, oxydation provocates first colloidal sulphur and finally the precipitation.

Colloidal sulfur are very fine particles thay may infuse inside the gelatin of film/paper emulsion, being difficult to remove by whashing.

I use two bath fixing, being the second fresh&perfect, I guess that if 1st fixer has collodial sulphur then the second bath should disolve it, not sure if this works with all fixers, just throw yellow precipitate in fresh fixer and see if it disolves.

To prevent oxydation you may use glass bottles and spraying inside Protectan type preserving gass (or butane). Another choice is throwing glass marbles inside the bottle to displace air out.

Soda plastic bottles (coke/pepsi/etc) are a good barrier for oxygen because designed to retain co2, but (of course) always label it clearly (and permanently) with skull and bones !!!