Do you know Aspergol ?

[Fellipe de Paula]

It's the only available chemistry similar to kodak photo-flo in here... Anyone knows Aspergol ?

 

[AgX]

The name hints at asparagus, a plant known to have a high saponine content.

 

[ntenny]

Are you sure of the name? Google suggests that there's a wood preservative called Aspergol widely sold in Europe, but I wouldn't think a wood preservative would have much in common with Photo-Flo.

A lot of the links I found on it were in Finnish, and reading the results of Google's autotranslator was pretty entertaining but didn't enlighten me very much. (For instance, I learned that Aspergol "is roughly the guardian the same as the solvent peruskylläste. So you will almost prescription.")

Other than the wood chemical, it doesn't appear to me that anyone sells a product by that name (at least not widely enough to be mentioned on the internet).

There have been discussions here on possible substitutes for Photo-Flo, but I don't think anyone came up with a really good option. Some people do report that they've used liquid dish detergent successfully, but detergent contains other chemicals besides just surfactants, and as far as I know no one really knows if they might do some harm to the image.

-NT

 

[Nicholas Lindan]

I have never heard of it before, but there are a few web references to a Brazilian product of this name from the firm Edict that is supposed to be a film wetting agent, similar to Photoflo. I don't think that adds any knowledge though.

If it says it's a film wetting agent then I would just use it.

I like to predilute Photoflo 1:10 with 91% isopropyl alcohol, and then dilute this 1:20 with distilled water to make a working wetting bath. The alcohol improves the wetting action and the predilution makes it easier to measure out (er, splash in a tablespoon or so) the right amount when you only want 8oz/250ml of working solution.

 

[Fellipe de Paula]

Thanks guys, yes it seems it's made by a brazilian laboratory.

 

[George Collier]

So, Nicholas, you add the PFlo to the Alcohol, mix gently, then store the mix for addition to final rinse in distilled water? I assume the film dries (a lot) faster too.