Color of fresh/dead Acufine negative developer

[~andi]

Hi there,

I've just found a can of Acufine in the basement and mixed it up. The solution is dark brown like well aged Rodinal. I wonder if its still good. I've never used Acufine. Rodinal with this color does work just fine and D23 is dead when brown. I've not used other developers. So I'm not sure.

I admit I never did a clip test to check developer activity and I'm not sure how its done right. I dropped a piece of film leader into it during daylight and nothing happens. But it was outdated PanF from the 70ties. The piece of film should turn black quickly if the developer works, right?

Andi

 

[tezzasmall]

The piece of film should turn black quickly if the developer works, right?

Andi

That's the way I would test the developer as well Andi, but if nothing has happened to the film, I'd dump the developer. A new and ie guaranteed bottle of fresh stuff doesn't cost that much when compared to film and time used etc.

Terry S

 

[~andi]

Thanks Terry. Good to know that I'm doing the test right. I tried again with a piece of recent TriX. No reaction at all after 5minutes in the stock solution. I'll discard it. I wasn't highly motivated to try it out it in the first place... so nothing lost.

 

[Gerald C Koch]

If the Acufine can was properly sealed the resulting developer should be water white. These cans are sealed under nitrogen so no oxidation should take place.

 

[~andi]

The can looked like new Gerald. The resulting developer however was dark brown. Maybe it has been exposed to heat. I read somewhere that Acufine is sensitive to higher temperatures.

 

[Gerald C Koch]

I might add that Acufine Corporation only makes new product when their stock reaches a low value. Therefore a new looking can be several years old.

 

[~andi]

Good point. I've had it at least for 5 years and got it with some stuff I got off a garage sale. What I meant is that the can didn't look damaged or roughly handled. The powder looked like brown sugar with poppy seeds in it.

 

[darkroommike]

I have cans much older than that and they still look and work like new. Solution should be clear with almost no color tinge.