Powder chemistry expiration dates

I need some advice from you seasoned darkroom guys. I've looked through these threads and can't find anything.

While cleaning in the garage, I discovered a box with packages of Kodak Dektol, Fixer and various other developers. Some of the packets have expiration dates in 2007 and 2009 and others don't have any dates.

The ones with dates are a heavy plastic material and others have the paper feel with the foil inside.

Question is, are they usable or should they all be discarded?

I didn't think dry chemistry ever turned bad.

Please help and thanks.

I find all sorts of stuff, even critters, in my garage but haven't resorted to keeping photo chemicals out there. Since I live in Minnesota, it can get pretty cold in my garage in January!

My recommendation is bring them inside and store them. Can you put them in a cabinet?

Then when you need some of the stuff, mix up into stock solution and give it a try. If, when you open a packet, especially developer, the powder has turned into a brown color then air got into contact and maybe it's no good. But I would give it a try.

In my experience, once powdered developer has turned brown, it is not good. If it is still white, I'd try it.

If the developer powder has not turned brown, it most likely is good. The other chemicals, fixer, etc. are almost certainly good.

I'd be very surprised if the fixer has any issues at all. I use bulk hypo that's been sitting in a huge bag on the floor for at least 10 years.

I agree with Jim -- if the Dektol is any worse than a very faint shade of brown it may have issues. Though testing it before you toss it out is easy enough.

If you have something like D76, and it is at all brownish, I'd chuck it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jim Jones

In my experience, once powdered developer has turned brown, it is not good. If it is still white, I'd try it.

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unless its UFG, which is already brown :)

I'd try the Dektol. At most you waste a sheet of paper, no big deal. I'd be more careful with fixer, though it should be very stable as powder. But if it wasn't good, you may find out years later. If the fixer dissolves without sulfur precipitate, I think it should be still ok.

Thanks everyone for the advice. Here's the results. I had six one gallon packets of Dektol. Three were without expiration dates and were paper feeling foil packets. The other three were shiny more modern ones with 2009 exp dates. The three older ones had the chemistry turn brown. The three in the newer foil lined packets were almost white. I mixed it up and the prints looked fine.

I've decided to toss the D-76 and buy new because I don't want to run the risk of ruining any negs.

The fixer looked pure white and dissolved clear but after the comment by Peter, I thought I'd better buy new fixer. The hypo clear was fine too.

Thanks again guys for the help.

Products of Metol and especially of Hydroquinone oxidation are very strongly colored so the mix already goes dark when only a tiny fraction of it is actually oxidized. That means, when a developer (liquid or powder alike) turns yellow or slightly brownish, that's surely no sign its not usable. Even a dark brown Metol-Hydroquinone developer is most probably just fine.

I remember using the Russian UP-2 developer (originally formulated for processing cinema positives in big tanks) in trays for paper prints. The formula was pretty rich in soda and Hydroquinone, and there was about 4 times more Metol then you'd expect in a print developer, but the sulfite content was only 15 grams per liter. So the tray abuse of the UP-2 resulted in all the solution going as black as ink in a couple of hours. Sheets of paper were literary impossible to be seen through that black liquid. But when found and dragged out of the funny liquid at last, the prints looked pretty normal nevertheless. The ink-black solution continued working just fine all day long. I actually replaced it with a fresh one only when most of it was carried away by the fiber paper, and there was too little left in the tray to work comfortably.

You probably do not want to waste good chemicals. You probably do not want more then necessary of the chemical waste in your environment either. So, as others have said, try it first. My guess is, all the chemistry you have is just OK.

And to test the fixer, put a small piece of film in it. If the film clears in time less then twice longer then the same film does in a fresh fixer of the same formula, then your old fixer is still pretty usable.