Is Pyrocat HD exhausted?

[SAShruby]

OK I mixed stock solutions A and B in Junn-2006 with distiled water. Due to my move and space restrictions and Bla-bla-bla I was unable to work with it until last night. I had one negative undeveloped and I gave it a try...

... and negative turned out to be thin and base was completely pinkish. Which solution might be old? A, B or it's still ok, maybe I just need to do more concentration?

I did 2:2:100 dilution on F speed on CPP-2 for 16 minutes. I believe negative was FP4 exposed as SBR 5.

Thanks.

[D. Bryant]

OK I mixed stock solutions A and B in Junn-2006 with distiled water. Due to my move and space restrictions and Bla-bla-bla I was unable to work with it until last night. I had one negative undeveloped and I gave it a try...

... and negative turned out to be thin and base was completely pinkish. Which solution might be old? A, B or it's still ok, maybe I just need to do more concentration?

I did 2:2:100 dilution on F speed on CPP-2 for 16 minutes. I believe negative was FP4 exposed as SBR 5.

Thanks.

Solution A is dead. B won't go bad as long as all of the potasium carbonate is still in solution. I now mix solution A in propolyne glycol as reccomended by Sandy King. This produces a syrupy concentrate reminiscent of HC-110 and gives the solution a very long life.

Don Bryant

[SAShruby]

Thanks Don,

Where I can buy glycol? Is it easily obtainable in a retail shop or do I have to buy it in special store?

Peter.

[John Bowen]

I ordered mine from ArtCraft Chemicals. I believe the Formulary also sells it.

[j.e.simmons]

I've seen the b-solution go bad, too. I'd throw out both. You can also get glycol from The Chemistry Store. (http://chemistrystore.com)
juan

[D. Bryant]

Thanks Don,

Where I can buy glycol? Is it easily obtainable in a retail shop or do I have to buy it in special store?

Peter.

I think you will find that the ChemistryStore.com perhaps has the best price for P.G.

Don't use Ethlyene <sp?> glycol though, it's poisonous.

Don

[D. Bryant]

I've seen the b-solution go bad, too. I'd throw out both. You can also get glycol from The Chemistry Store. (http://chemistrystore.com)
juan

Juan,

How did you determine that part B had gone bad? Testing the pH? I am certainly not a chemist but I don't understand how part B can go bad unless it becomes contaiminated or the potassium carbonate falls out of solution. IOW, just sitting in a partially filled jug shouldn't cause a failure.

Before I tossed the part B (unless only a tiny amount remains) I would run a test with the fresh Part A.

Don

[SAShruby]

Thanks. I will make solution A again. I have raw chemicals to make Pyrocat-HD.
Bye-Bye Xtol.

[j.e.simmons]

Juan,

How did you determine that part B had gone bad? Testing the pH? I am certainly not a chemist but I don't understand how part B can go bad unless it becomes contaiminated or the potassium carbonate falls out of solution. IOW, just sitting in a partially filled jug shouldn't cause a failure.

Before I tossed the part B (unless only a tiny amount remains) I would run a test with the fresh Part A.

Don

A friend ordered some Pyrocat HD and his negatives were far, far underdeveloped. We live in the same town, use the same water, he used the same film and times I use, so the negatives should have been close.

In trying to figure out what went wrong, one of the tests I made was to try developing a sheet with his A solution and fresh sodium carbonate, in other words, a new B solution. The film developed correctly. He continued to develop film with his old part A and new part B until he ran out of part A.

I also tried some of my part A and his part B and got the same extremely underdeveloped negatives.

I don't know what would have happened and have no explanation. I just know what I saw in this one instance.
juan

[SAShruby]

A friend ordered some Pyrocat HD and his negatives were far, far underdeveloped. We live in the same town, use the same water, he used the same film and times I use, so the negatives should have been close.

In trying to figure out what went wrong, one of the tests I made was to try developing a sheet with his A solution and fresh sodium carbonate, in other words, a new B solution. The film developed correctly. He continued to develop film with his old part A and new part B until he ran out of part A.

I also tried some of my part A and his part B and got the same extremely underdeveloped negatives.

I don't know what would have happened and have no explanation. I just know what I saw in this one instance.
juan


I will run couple tests, I make small solutions of fresh pyrocat and see, how it goes. I'd rather throw bad stock only instead both.