Different Palladium different source?

[dpurdy]

A few years ago I bought quite a large supply of Palladium from a place on the US East coast. (with the economy, thank god for that, it saved a bunch of money)

The last few days I got to the bottom of the bottle and switched to a Palladium that is from Bostick and Sullivan. I noticed right away that the B&S palladium was redder in color as I brushed it on.

I made no changes in time or contrast and found the B&S palladium to match exactly the stuff I have been using the last few years but the B&S palladium prints far more reddish/pinkish brown by comparison to the East Coast stuff which prints far more neutral in color.

I really didn't expect any difference at all. Can anyone account for it or draw some conclusion from it? The older stuff I mixed from powder and the B&S stuff was provided in solution.

thanks Dennis

 

[photomc]

where they both Lithum,Ammonium,Cesium, etc? If they were made with different salts this could account for a difference. Also, if you are using the same developer (Potassium Oxalate?) the old metal salts will still be in there and could be reacting to the new pd mixture. Give B&S a call, they are great in assisting with these sorts of issues...though I am sure others will pitch in with other ideas.

 

[dpurdy]

The B&S stuff is Sodium Chloropalladite and the previous stuff I put in solution myself with salt is Palladium chloride which I think mixed is the same stuff as B&S palladium solution #3

also I have always used Potas Oxalate Developer and the batch I have right now is well seasoned. But since I can actually see a difference in color right when I am brushing the Palladium on I doubt the Developer is the "culprit"

Actually it isn't a problem or difference in quality.. it is just a difference in color. So now I guess I have another color option.
Dennis

 

[Dana Sullivan]

We use plain old sodium chloride in our solution. I have heard reports that using sea salt will change the color of the print because there are other chlorides beside sodium. Does this help?

 

[dpurdy]

Thanks Dana. I hope you didn't take my thread as a knock on B&S palladium. As I was sorting out my stuff I came to realize that I actually have some parts of 4 different batches of Palladium. well now three as I ran out of one. I am now not sure whether the two different color printing batches aren't both from B&S. Actually I think the warmer color is more what people expect and if you use hot developer gives you very rich brown prints.

Anyway it is a curiosity
Dennis

 

[Dana Sullivan]

Dennis, I never took it as an insult or anything, I was just throwing out the idea that it might be the salt. Let me know if you find out more.

And now the blatant self promotion: Check out our special on platinum and palladium solutions over here.
(there was a url link here which no longer exists)