How to preserve glycine

[Pmlpoma]

Hi,
I just ordered some glycine to make Ansco 130 developer.
At this time my darkroom is too warm and I planned to use it mid September.
Anyone have a suggestion on how to preserve glycine ? Can be frozen?

[Kevin Crisp]

I've been keeping mine in the freezer and going on two years it works fine for making Ansco 130. The mixed Ansco seems to have a very long life compared with something like Dektol. My freezer compartment isn't super cold, more like 15 to 20F.

[Pmlpoma]

Thanks Kevin

[xkaes]

What makes you think glycine needs special storage conditions? My jar of SPECTRUM reagent-grade glycine is marked "GENERAL STORAGE" on the label.

[Drew Wiley]

I only have one 100g bottle of glycin on the shelf at a time, with spare unopened bottles of powder kept in the freezer. Mixed 130 keeps fairly well in full tight glass bottles, but don't gamble with months of time. I usually mix up just enough for a single session, preparing it a day or possibly a week or two before planned use. It's so easy to concoct that I don't see any need to mix a surplus volume; but you could do that if you divvy it up into several full tight bottles. I use it at 1:3.

Once the glycin powder is exposed to air and heat, it starts slowly darkening in color, and also in effect. Once it gets to a deep chocolate or blackish color, it's basically unusable, because it will stain the paper itself. Fresh powder is typically a pale tan or off-white. Then it turns a distinct tan, and after a few months, a mocha color.
Try to use your opened powder within a year or less.

Xkaes - Glycin has pharmaceutical usages too. Back when I used to buy locally from a chemical supply house which mainly sold to the pharmaceutical industry, and which handled a tremendous selection of Spectrum chemicals, the owner, who had a phD in this field (as did even his counter assistants!), told me that the quality of photographic glycin and amidol has to be even higher than the medical grade! - or else there will be print discoloration. So it's important to buy it fresh in the first place, and YES, FREEZE any surplus powder. That works! And Formulary does make their own, for sake of supplying it fresh. This is common knowledge by now among printmakers.

Incidentally, the correct spelling is glycin. Glycine is an amino acid.

[nolindan]

I have it in a screw top marmalade jar that sits in the freezer. Seems to keep, though I haven't used it recently.

I have gone back to basics: D-76, Microdol, Technidol (while it lasts) and Dektol. After oodles of testing for the Darkroom Automation app notes & paper charts I have concluded that there isn't any advantage to deviating from this simple list. I get better results if I put the effort into exposure and film and paper choice.

[esearing]

Or just make more Ansco 130 stock and store it. I have a batch from 2018-07 that I just tested this month (2024-08) and it still works. Its a bit dark compared to the ones I made 3 years ago and less than a year ago but does not stain the paper. It takes up about 25% of an Arizona Tea one gallon plastic bottle and I don't remove the air. You can also use A130 for film developing at 1:10 or 1:15. Working strength as dilute as 1:2 even seems to last for several months but I tend to only keep for 3 months or 40 8x10 prints which ever comes first.


My test compared side by side 5x12 contact prints on Ilford MGFB G developed in new 130 at 1:2 and old 130 at 1:1 - I see no real differences on a landscape image that was mostly mid tones without any true blacks but had some whites in the sky. I plan to attempt the test again on Foma paper too at somepoint.

[jnantz]

Or just make more Ansco 130 stock and store it. I have a batch from 2018-07 that I just tested this month (2024-08) and it still works. Its a bit dark compared to the ones I made 3 years ago and less than a year ago but does not stain the paper. It takes up about 25% of an Arizona Tea one gallon plastic bottle and I don't remove the air. You can also use A130 for film developing at 1:10 or 1:15. Working strength as dilute as 1:2 even seems to last for several months but I tend to only keep for 3 months or 40 8x10 prints which ever comes first.


My test compared side by side 5x12 contact prints on Ilford MGFB G developed in new 130 at 1:2 and old 130 at 1:1 - I see no real differences on a landscape image that was mostly mid tones without any true blacks but had some whites in the sky. I plan to attempt the test again on Foma paper too at somepoint.

couldn't agree more ! ansco130 seems to last forever either in stock or even in an open tray (over a year and over a month from personal observations ), and a shake of it in a L of caffenol makes the best developer I've used. I used to buy 7 gallon kits every year from the formulary and 1 1/2-2 years and the last Boston round was as good as the first. I use it for film too, since the late 90s my dilution is a little stronger 1:8ish for 9ish minutes and stronger if I am contact printing velvia or e100 or ... on RC..

[xkaes]

Incidentally, the correct spelling is glycin. Glycine is an amino acid.

The OP was asking about glycine, not glycin -- perhaps incorrectly.

I was responding regarding glycine

252412

[Pmlpoma]

I was wrong, my question was about Glycin.
By the way I don’t know if glycine is used someways in photography.

[Greg Y]

Yes... incorrectly the OP was making Ansco 130 which uses glycin

[bnxvs]

1. Pharmaceutical “glycine” and glycine-photo are completely different substances. Glycine-Photo is properly called “p-Hydroxyphenylglycine”. CAS number 122-87-2.

2. Even highly oxidized glycine-photo is quite successfully restored to the initial state by treatment with potassium or sodium metabisulfite. The technology of such treatment is known from old USSR patents:


10 kg of p-Hydroxyphenylglycine (hereinafter glycine) is dissolved in 130 liters of water with addition of 4 kg of 25% ammonia solution.

The mixture is brought to a boil. Then add a small amount of activated carbon and hydrosulfite (sodium or potassium metabisulfite solution). Boil for 10-15 minutes. Filter.

To the obtained filtrate add 30-40% solution of bisulfite (sodium, potassium) or pass SO2 by bubbling. White crystals of pure glycine precipitate.

The precipitate is centrifuged (filtered) and washed with a small amount of cold water. It is then washed with 20-25 liters of 5-10% hydrosulfite solution.

The glycine is then dried. The resulting glycine is not oxidized in air and does not change color.

The yield is 10 \ 8.5 kg.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

[Raghu Kuvempunagar]

This is very interesting and potentially useful. TFS.

"The mixture is brought to a boil. Then add a small amount of activated carbon and hydrosulfite (sodium or potassium metabisulfite solution). Boil for 10-15 minutes. Filter."

Hydrosulfite is dithionite and not metabisulfite.

[Drew Wiley]

Photographic "glycin" (correctly spelled) also had pharmaceutical applications, at least at the research level. The first source I had for it specialized in supplying Biotech and Pharmaceutical industries (the world R&D epicenter of that is here locally), and the PhD owner told me that in person. Photo chemicals were just a sideline of theirs.