So, what does it take to make this? Why do we have to get this from China? If I know some chemistry majors, can I just ask them to make it???
I'm only half kidding. We no the formula is (NH2)2 C6 OH 2HCL.
What does it take to make this?
So, what does it take to make this? Why do we have to get this from China? If I know some chemistry majors, can I just ask them to make it???
I'm only half kidding. We no the formula is (NH2)2 C6 OH 2HCL.
What does it take to make this?
idk, but you don't have to get it from china.
artcraft sells the english stuff. lot more expensive though, much cleaner, and doesn't need to be endlessly strained through coffee filters and cheesecloth to filter out the crap
-Dan
Thanx Dan. Actually, I have 2lbs I just started working through. It's from Photoformulary. It's grey with very minimal "chunking." Does anyone know where they get it from?Originally Posted by DanielStone
I've heard that keeping in a black, light-tight bag helps to reduce discoloration, and oxidization of it over time. Black bag can be from a paper package really, just light tight.
but I'm just about to start using it myself, just quoting what other people have written, not from personal experience.
-Dan
I recall reading that amidol was a byproduct of oil refining. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong.
I did some on line research a while back, and the precursor chemical seemed to have every adjective a chemical could have: toxic, explosive, flammable, poisonous, etc. Though once you got past making your lab a superfund site or blowing yourself up, actually making the amidol isn't that hard it seemed.
I was wondering about making a more pure amidol, which is supposed to be a white or off white, rather than the darkly colored stuff which seems to have either nickel (green) or iron (red/pink) impurities which require more washing to remove from prints. The chemist I talked to speculated that acquiring adequately pure precursor chemicals might be the issue, or that the amidol was picking up iron or nickel from the processing equipment.
But amidol isn't that expensive per batch of developer, so if cost is why you want to make your own, it's probably not cost effective to make it.
Cheers, Steve
I wonder if putting your powdered amidol in the freezer would be helpful. Lower temperatures seem to retard chemical reactions. I am assuming that the degradation of developing agents - oxidation I assume - is exactly such a reaction. If freezing the amidol would be a good thing, then allowing plenty of time for the container to come to room temp when using some would be critical, since cold powder would get condensation on it, and probably degrade faster.
Glycin seems to like it in the freezer, i have a bottle that is at least 2 years old and the Glycin is still as white as when i bought it.
Amidol may similarly like it cold but i don't think it will make any difference.
Even kept at room temperature i believe it can survive for many years and it will still work fine.
Amidol keeps well if it remains totally dry. Don't store it in the sink room. One of the primary manufacturers of it is Spectrum chemical. Formulary is a reliable source
for good quality amidol. I was told by a previous distributor that photographic grade
actually needs to be higher quality than medical grade! (It's used for other things too). It's a powerful developer, so one doesn't need much per session. A bit of citric
acid will keep it from oxidizing during use.
I have a friend, a retired professional chemist, who made Amidol for Brett Weston many years ago.
As to keeping properties, my Amidol supply, purchased in the 1950's from G. Gennert, is still working fine. I would not be concerned about a change in color. This particular supply is black, and is contained in one pound brown glass bottles on a darkroom shelf. G. Gennert went out of business in 1921, so my supply is at least 90 years old. One trip through a coffee filter, and good to go.
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