agfa neutol wa formula

[Tom Westbrook]

If the batch number is on the back label on the bottle, I have "89500 0" on a bottle I bought yesterday at my local photo shop. No clue how old it is, but there wasn't much dust on the boxes.

[Sal Santamaura]

Mr. Ingolf Marzenski of A&O Group, the firm that purchased AgfaPhoto's minilab and chemical business, just informed me that Neutol WA is among the black and white chemicals they will continue to manufacture.

[Sal Santamaura]

Mr. Ingolf Marzenski of A&O Group, the firm that purchased AgfaPhoto's minilab and chemical business, just informed me that Neutol WA is among the black and white chemicals they will continue to manufacture.

And for those in the US who would like to purchase some, I just discovered that it's in stock at Freestyle:

http://www.freestylephoto.biz/sc_pro...at_id=&pid=458

[IanG]

This is the Formula for Neutol WA published in Foto & Labor, 3/ 1996, page 17, the ratios have been ajusted to compare with Ilford ID-78

Neutol WA

Potassium Sulphite 60 g - this is equivalent to 48 g Sodium Sulphite
Hydroquinone 12 g
Phenidone 0.4 g
Potassium Carbonate 12 g
Potassium Hydroxide 4 g
Potassium Bromide 2.67 g
Water to 1 litre

Ilford ID-78 Warm Tone Developer

Sodium Sulphite 50 g
Hydroquinone 12 g
Phenidone 0.5 g
Sodium Carbonate 62 g
Potassium Bromide 4.5 g
Water to 1 litre

Both - Use 1+3

(Carbonate/Sulphite both anhydrous)

They are pretty much interchangeable, Iford use Potassium Carbonate andSodium Hydroxide in commercial liquid developers in place of Sodium Carbonate. ID-78 was available as a Powder developer in the 1960's. Agfa use Potassium sulphite, Potassium salts tend to give slightly warmer tones compared to Sodium salts.

Ian

[Sal Santamaura]

This is the Formula for Neutol WA published in Foto & Labor, 3/ 1996, page 17, the ratios have been ajusted to compare with Ilford ID-78...

Ian, what does "...the ratios have been adjusted..." mean? What was the "unadjusted" formula exactly as published in Foto & Labor, 3/1996? Thanks!

[IanG]

Sol, I divided the concentrate quantities by 3.75 to get a comparison with published Ilford & Kodak formulae, and left out the EDTA Na4.

Here's the formula translated from German:

Neutol WA Concentrate

EDTA Na4 10g
Potassium Sulphite 225 g
Hydroquinone 45 g
Phenidone 1.5 g
Potassium Carbonate 45 g
Potassium Hydroxide 15 g
Potassium Bromide 10 g
Water to 1 litre

Use 1+9 (1+7 - 1+14)

Like Ilford ID-78 it has a good shelf life, both give very similar tones.

Ian

[W K Longcor]

Just somthing to add to the mix ------ AND, I'm going from memory - so take everything I say with a grain of salt --

Back in the early 1960's --Neutol was available from Agfa as a box with two packets of dry chemical, which you mixed together in water. It gave some very nice tones. I was working in a local camera store at the time. One day, the Agfa sales rep. (his name was Sam -- that part of my memory is good -- I don't know why) was in the shop. I told him that I was trying the Neutol in my home darkroom - and liked it very much. He asked me which paper I was using. I gave him a list of papers -- including Agfa Portiga Rapid 118. He let me in on a "secret" -- NEVER throw out the Neutol! When done printing - pour the used developer into a large jug, then from a separate bottle ( with the fresh stuff in it) "top off" the jug of used stuff with fresh. I tried it. After several weeks of printing, the developer was VERY dark - you had to develop by time only ( which was like 4 minutes)- you couldn't really see your print in the tray. I also remember that it got a rather strong odor. BUT, the prints - particularly on the Portriga paper took on the most wonderful warm brown tones! I kept that one jug going for over 4 years - and only dumped it when I moved into a different house.

Now, just how much the liquid concentrate mimics the old powder mix, I do not know. Also, you would have to do your "topping off" from a diluted working strength mix.

I realize that this is probably all a bunch of useless information -- just consider it some photo history.

[IanG]

Neutol powder developers were slightly different formulae to the Liquid versions, the WA powder version was Metol based and probably used Sodium Sulphite & Carbonate, it would not have contained Hydroxide.

I last bought WA powder in the mid to late 80's it wasn't quite as Warm-toned as the liquid PQ version which is to be expected.

Ian

[W K Longcor]

Neutol powder developers were slightly different formulae to the Liquid versions, the WA powder version was Metol based and probably used Sodium Sulphite & Carbonate, it would not have contained Hydroxide.

I last bought WA powder in the mid to late 80's it wasn't quite as Warm-toned as the liquid PQ version which is to be expected.

Ian

I remember the powdered variety as having some nice characteristics. Using the "never throw it out" method, it gained a wonderful warm tone image. My memory says even warmer than the liquid -- but then again the papers were very different then -- maybe it was more the paper and it's emulsion than just the developer.

[Shen45]

Would anyone have a Metol powder based Neutol WA formula. I have plenty of Metol and no Phenidone. Or could I substitute about 10 times the Metol for the Phenidone?

Steve