Cyanotype with ferric ammonium sulfate

[homesikk]

Hi,

I want to try to make some cyanotype prints but in my country it's hard to find ferric ammonium citrate so i have sulfate instead. I mixed 10% pottasium ferrycyanide with 25% fe am sulfate and I get beautifuly blue solution which coated to paper is not light sensitive. Am I doing something wrong or it's just imposible to make light sensitive emulsion with fe am sulfate.

thank you for your help

-mikhail

 

[shinn]

Ferric Ammonium sulfate is not light sensitive.

Happy Days

 

[shinn]

Forgot this part, the solution should be a yellow greenish color (Im very colorblind) not blue .

Ferric am sulfate is used as a mordant in dyeing fabrics and such.

FAC is not regulated by the DOT so having it shipped to your location shouldn't pose too many problems.

Happy Days
Mark

 

[Ole]

Ferric Ammonium sulfate is not light sensitive.

Happy Days

Yes it is - but not usably. I'll see if I can find an answer for you, but it's likely to take a week or so

 

[shinn]

Ole, I just looked it up and its not listed as being light sensitive in my chem dictionary.

So I gotta wait a week? bummer.

Happy Days

 

[homesikk]

thank you guys
i must find citrate then

-mikhail

 

[jbeatty]

Mikhail,
Here,s an old Kodak formula that I,ve been using for 25 years:
Ammonium Persulfate 0.5g
Ferric Ammonium Sulfate 1.4g
Oxalic Acid 3.0g
Potassium Ferricyanide 1.0g
Hydrochloric Acid (10%) 1.0cc
Water to make 1.0 Liter

This is from the Amphoto Lab Handbook and has been published many times by Kodak and others.The method of compounding this bath is very important. Each of the solid chemicals should be dissolved seperately in a small volume of water, the solutions then mixed strictly in the order given, and the whole diluted to the required volume.
Avoid washing with alkali water. Acidify the wash water with a bit of acetic acid if in doubt. I hope the other ingredients listed are easily obtainable. Good luck.
Jack

 

[jbeatty]

p.s. This is a toner formula, not a cyanotype formula. I'm offering it as a way of using the ferric ammonium sulfate you have on hand. But if you eliminate the ammonium persulfate and hydrochloric acid from this formulation it should make a cyanotype sensitizer. Good luck,
jack