Dektol, Selectol, D76

[Gerry M]

Is there a shelf life for these? Along with some darkroom gear I just purchased, were several unopened packages of these. Also, some Kodak indicator stop bath and Kodak fixer. None of the packages have any holes or tears. The powder feels loose, not clumped. Judging from some paper work I found, they may be about 4-5 years old. Also, is an unopened jug of Kodak Professional Polymax T developer. Do you suppose these are good to use?

 

[Rick A]

They should all be good for use. I'm using Kodak chems older than that. As long as the powder feels loose and developer doesn't immediatly turn brown, its good. I store all my D-76 in 250ml bottles, lasts a very long time as long as the bottles are filled to the top and sealed tightly.

 

[MattKing]

If the Polymax T is unopened and a light straw colour, it is probably fine. That is my developer of choice, and I have certainly had mine work well after its expiry date (printed on the bottle near the top shoulder).

 

[Gerry M]

Thanks, guys. Matt; I'll check the Polymax for date.

 

[Ronald Moravec]

Whether it works or works properly are two different things and the newer you are the harder it is to separate.

Fix and stop are good. Developer packages are good for two years. When they packaged in cans, it was forever, but that has been gone 40 years now.

 

[LorenzoM]

Fix and stop are good. Developer packages are good for two years. When they packaged in cans, it was forever, but that has been gone 40 years now.

Ronald,
just two years? Are you sure about that?
I think that unopened developer packages are good (i.e. don't change their properties) for a longer time.

Lorenzo

 

[Rick A]

So long as there are no pinholes in the packets the chems should be fine.

 

[Keith Tapscott.]

When they packaged in cans, it was forever, but that has been gone 40 years now.

It was only around 5 years or so in the UK that Kodak cans were discontinued.

 

[lajolla]

All current Kodak b&w powdered chemistry comes with expiration dates. My latest d-76 powder mix from freestyle has a dead-end date of 2014-02. My latest Dektol powder has a drop dead date of 2014-01. So clearly Kodak is still manufacturing developer chemistry that will last nearly three years before mixing with H2O for stock-solution darkroom use And of course, once mixed, these developer stock-solutions will last only a few months. I would never use any older powdered chemistry beyond a labelled expiration date until first testing it against the same chemistry that is known to not be expired. I also toss any film or paper developer immediately, if the crystalline powder inside the packages when opened before mixing have even a slight brownish oxidation discoloration. My advice, if you can afford to, is simply to buy it fresh in small quantities and to always use it fresh. But you can always test older, unknown-aged kodak powder developer chemistry easily by comparing the unknown-age developer chemistry against the same brand new chemistry. All it takes is a couple of test rolls or test sheets of film. Good luck.