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Developers in Tablet Form - Coincidence or Destiny?

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Photo Engineer

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Current powder chemistry from Kodak has all ingredients encapsulated in barrier layers to isolate the alkali and developing agents. Then the ingredients are packed under an inert dry atmosphere for further protection.

PE
 
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holmburgers

holmburgers

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A lot of great responses, thanks everyone. It seems that maybe we don't see tablet chemistry these days for a good reason, though I still like the idea of small capsules of pre-weighed chemicals, along with what 2F/2F suggested.

PE, so the individual powder elements have a barrier layer? That seems like an amazing production feat!
 

heespharm

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Sorry bub but once again flaws with capsules.... Capsules aren't made to completely dissolve... If they were they would be quite quiescent (absorbing too much water from the the air)...

This is evidenced by some capsules still being able to be seen in stool... Plus would you really want pieces of gelatin adhering to your neg??
 

cmacd123

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In the 1960 era, I recall being fascinated by a product from ADOX being a syrofoam box with a bunch of brown glass bottles of something called "Adox E-10" developer. Each bottle had an aluminum cap, and contained 10ml of developer which was to be diluted with 500ml of water.

I only ever had two of them, and found they worked wonderfully, but when I tried to get some more found that Adox was gone. (years alter I found Efke had bought the line) But I never saw the handy pack of developer again.

I recall Ansco had a "Kit" with 16oz of each of the chemicals for Anscochrome, all in foil pouches. Never was brave enough to attempt that process.

I do fondly recall the Tri-Chem pack. There was a companion product of 6 packets to make 4 oz each of Microdol-x. Since you could use Microdol-x 1:3 with water, each envelope in effect made 16oz of developer. enough for 1 roll of 120. (or 2 35mm if you did not mind overdoing the capacity)

Around that time I found the little brown bottles of Agfa's famous film developer and used that for years.
 

Newt_on_Swings

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I found some old kodak developer a few weeks ago in the storage closet, a glass vial with a cork top, white powder. just the volume itself would lead me to think you would need many or quite large tablets for this to be successful.

seemed like it was a big fad back then, tablet everything, they even tried to make food tablets. If you search for those old news reels advertising products of the future you can see them. even in bugs bunny cartoons lol
 
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holmburgers

holmburgers

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seemed like it was a big fad back then, tablet everything, they even tried to make food tablets. If you search for those old news reels advertising products of the future you can see them. even in bugs bunny cartoons lol

That's hilarious... :joyful:
 

Struan Gray

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Tetenal introduced tablet form RA4 ('Photopearls') and C41 ('Tabs') in the early 00-ies, but pulled them from the retail market in 2004 or so. Great idea for intermittent users who wanted to avoid wasting unused solutions, but they priced the tabs at a level where it was cheaper to buy a 1 liter liquid kit and throw most of it away.
 
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