alkaline or neutral fixers

[pierods]

Hi,

here in Europe the only non-acid fixers I could find are these:

http://www.silverprint.co.uk/ProductByGroup.asp?PrGrp=522


Tetenal Vario Fix Powder 5 litres Previously called 'Tetenal Fixing Salt'

FOMAFIX P 195g 1 litre - powder


Are they to be considered alkaline or neutral? I am shooting for developing in Pyrocat HD.

 

[Metroman]

I buy my alkaline fixer from Retro Photographic. It is the Moersch Alkaline Fixer concentrate in 1 litre bottles.

Dead Link Removed

 

[Lowell Huff]

I have never seen any science that supports alkaline, neutral, or acid fixer as one being better than the other. I do know that when you use acid fixer there is no need for stop bath.

 

[Martin Aislabie]

If Moersch makes a suitable fixer - then why not buy it stratight from Wolkgand Moersch - http://www.moersch-photochemie.de/index_e.php

That way you don't have to bother with the Pound/Euro exchange rate

Martin

 

[JBrunner]

Also this if you are so inclined:

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

 

[john_s]

There are fixers made primarily for colour processing that are suitable, and can be more readily available and quite a lot cheaper, presumably because of competition and volume. Agfa FX-Universal (no longer available here) with pH a little alkaline, and Kodak Flexicolor Fixer, with pH slightly on the acid side of neutral are good. There seems to be a Fujifilm product that would be very suitable (pH=8). I have not used it. Extracts from its MSDS is at the end of my post. The Agfa one was identical. The Kodak one has a little bisulphite that brings it to pH=6.5 if i remember correctly.



"Product Name: CN-16Qs NQ3-RS Bleach Fix Replenisher
MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEET
Issued by: FUJIFILM Australia Pty Ltd




SECTION 3 - COMPOSITION/INFORMATION ON INGREDIENTS
Ingredients CAS No Conc,%
Ammonium thiosulfate 7783-18-8 <45
Sodium sulfite 7757-83-7 <5
Water 7732-18-5 to 100

Physical Description & colour: Clear colourless liquid.
Odour: Faint ammoniacal odour.
Specific Gravity: 1.275

pH: 8.0 approx"

 

[Keith Tapscott.]

Hi,

here in Europe the only non-acid fixers I could find are these:

http://www.silverprint.co.uk/ProductByGroup.asp?PrGrp=522


Tetenal Vario Fix Powder 5 litres Previously called 'Tetenal Fixing Salt'

FOMAFIX P 195g 1 litre - powder


Are they to be considered alkaline or neutral?

Tetenal SuperFix Odourless is claimed to be pH neutral.
Fotospeed FX-30 fixer is also pH neutral and FX-40 is an alkaline fixer. Odourless Stop-Bath is worth buying as well. These can be ordered direct from Fotospeed.

http://www.fotospeed.com/Fotospeed-Fixers/products/122/

 

[dancqu]

Sodium or ammonium thiosulfate are neutral to slightly
alkaline. They are fixers, the first slow the second rapid.
I've used both unadulterated but now use just the slow.
Ansel Adams added a little sodium sulfite to the slow
to make his 'plain' fix. Should work well with the
developer you are using. Dan

 

[Philippe-Georges]

There are fixers made primarily for colour processing that are suitable, and can be more readily available and quite a lot cheaper, presumably because of competition and volume. Agfa FX-Universal (no longer available here) with pH a little alkaline, and Kodak Flexicolor Fixer, with pH slightly on the acid side of neutral are good. There seems to be a Fujifilm product that would be very suitable (pH=8). I have not used it. Extracts from its MSDS is at the end of my post. The Agfa one was identical. The Kodak one has a little bisulphite that brings it to pH=6.5 if i remember correctly.



"Product Name: CN-16Qs NQ3-RS Bleach Fix Replenisher
MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEET
Issued by: FUJIFILM Australia Pty Ltd




SECTION 3 - COMPOSITION/INFORMATION ON INGREDIENTS
Ingredients CAS No Conc,%
Ammonium thiosulfate 7783-18-8 <45
Sodium sulfite 7757-83-7 <5
Water 7732-18-5 to 100

Physical Description & colour: Clear colourless liquid.
Odour: Faint ammoniacal odour.
Specific Gravity: 1.275

pH: 8.0 approx"

FUJI-HUNT UNILEC fixer for the colour process is the one that is very close to AGFA's Unifix. For a 20 L jerry can I paid 37,90 EURO, as it is used diluted at 1+4 for B&W (film or paper) this is 100 L work dilution. It last long and can easily be topped off after each session. It is made in Belgium, in the HUNT factory near Sint Niclaas, so easy obtainable in Europe.
See page 14, in the brochure, for the pH and the Specific Gravity values.

Philippe