Oxygen removal

[Jim C.]

There is product called Bloxygen, it's sold direct and in woodworking supply stores, I use to pad out moisture
sensitive plastics that I use, it's basically a can of argon gas. It's kind of expensive, and I haven't yet tried
with dark room chems, but it may be economical enough to protect developer concentrates.

[ROL]

...I never had any problem with the marbles.

Frankly, it's never been much of a problem for me as I've always been told much of the oxygen is missing from any room I enter anyhow. Clearly, I've lost all my marbles, but I don't see why the OP can't just decant into a floating lid type container, where oxygen exposure will be minimal.

[swmcl]

I thank you all for your replies. As luck would have it, I had already ordered 4 cans of CO2 ... Anyone want 4 cans of CO2?

Ken, I do use Pyrocat-HD and I do use it mixed 15 secs prior to use. But !

I want to try some other things and they aren't the same. They have a fairly limited shelf life on the stock solution. Bruce, I want to try the Eco XTOL stuff and I need to do what you do. I'm also thinking of the paper chemicals down the track.

A little puff of N2 might be the go.

Cheers,

[rwhb1]

I did ask a while ago if a vacuum was effective. I have been using those vacuum pumps and stoppers for wine bottles, but have no idea what vacuum is achieved or the reduction of oxygen.

http://www.amazon.com/Vacu-Vin-09814...ds=wine+vacuum

Russ

[Sandokan]

IMHO, you are trying way too hard. This isn't at all a difficult problem.

The answer is already being used in the wine industry. Big thick glass bottles that are effectively impermeable for centuries. Then, pull a vacuum over whatever liquid is in the bottle, with a Vacu Vin Wine Saver. Problem solved.

I've had XTOL stock last 12 months (IIRC, Kodak advised 6 months max) in a wine bottle with a Vacu Vin stopper. Still had plenty of vacuum, developer was as effective as the day I mixed it (in steam distilled water of course ;-).

Hi Bruce, What wine bottle works best? I was thinking a Spanish Retuerta or Italian Amarone

I have a food vacuum pump and was thinking of finding a container in glass, but all food containers I found were plastic. Then I thought to try the vacuvin method you have. Thanks for letting me know it works. Unfortunately only the really cheap wines come in one litre bottles, but I shall persevere through one or two.

P.S. I have used butane from a gas refiller to remove air from a bottle. The pp of dissoved O2 is not so high - but a double vaccuming will reduce this, I guess the second one a day or two later.

[Drew Wiley]

Old thread. But in the meantime, small convenient containers of inert gas for sake of preserving wine flavor have become common in winemaking shops as well as on Amazon.

[Peter De Smidt]

I just use Dustoff. It works great.

[PRJ]

Ive used Bloxygen but Butane is cheaper and easier to get. I doubt I'll use Bloxygen again after trying it.

[Mike_E]

Propane is heavier than air and if you pick up a bottle with a torch nozzle it's easy to get into the bottle.

[wclark5179]

Just a thought,

I use empty 2 liter soda bottles for stock chemistry. You could squeeze the bottle, each time you use its contents, to get the oxygen out and screw on the cap.

I find the bottles work great, no reactions with contents and the cap can be used over again and again.