DuPont 18F Fixer: Any Good?

MCB18 · Jul 17, 2023

Found some super duper cheap DuPont 18F hardening fixer that I am considering getting. It’s cheap enough that I can get enough to lay me a long time (years?) for under $50.

It is a powder in a metal can, enough to make 1 gallon of fixer. I can’t seem to find anything on the internet about it. I’m also not sure if it is even still viable. Some websites say powder in a metal can lasts pretty much forever, some sites say it still goes bad after some time.

Anyone have experience with this, or something similar? Should I consider it, or stay well ckear? Thanks.

Don_ih · Jul 17, 2023

Powder may go bad in a can. The seal doesn't last forever. You're tossing a coin when you buy an old can. Well, maybe more like rolling a die and hoping to get a number over 2.

I bought a can of some obscure bleach a few months ago and the contents were clumped together like stone, even though the can looked perfect. (The stuff was useless - it may have been useless even if it wasn't sandstone.)

I hope you mean you'll get several cans for $50. A gallon of fixer is much less than $50.

koraks · Jul 17, 2023

Ensure it's a rapid fixer. If it's old enough to come in metal cans, there's a chance it's a sodium thiosulfate fixer. While it works, it's unnecessarily slow and with Tmax films brings the risk of incomplete fixing (unless you're VERY patient).

MCB18 · Jul 17, 2023

Don_ih said:
Powder may go bad in a can. The seal doesn't last forever. You're tossing a coin when you buy an old can. Well, maybe more like rolling a die and hoping to get a number over 2.

I bought a can of some obscure bleach a few months ago and the contents were clumped together like stone, even though the can looked perfect. (The stuff was useless - it may have been useless even if it wasn't sandstone.)

I hope you mean you'll get several cans for $50. A gallon of fixer is much less than $50.

Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind. Seller says the seals look intact, but they haven’t opened a can to confirm the condition of the powder, and yes, for $50 I can get around 15 gallons.

koraks said:
Ensure it's a rapid fixer. If it's old enough to come in metal cans, there's a chance it's a sodium thiosulfate fixer. While it works, it's unnecessarily slow and with Tmax films brings the risk of incomplete fixing (unless you're VERY patient).

I have no clue if it is a rapid fix, sadly. And like I said, I can’t find any info about this stuff online, so who knows.

Don_ih · Jul 17, 2023

MCB18 said:
I have no clue if it is a rapid fix, sadly.

My bet is it's a regular fixer.

Paul Howell · Jul 17, 2023

If it's canned DuPont it must 60 years or older. There might a good by date on the can. Like Kodak and Ansco later GAF DuPont packed their can with nitrogen. I bought a newer box of GAF film developer, about 50% were discolored and were not reliable in terms of development times. I have used both canned Kodak and Ansco fixer, in the 60s, it was common to can chemistry until the 70s. I don't recall when DuPont got out of the chemistry and film business, they left the paper side of the business in the late 70s.

MattKing · Jul 17, 2023

What will you do if it works so well you want to find more?
If someone gave me some to try, I'd consider testing it against known good fixer, but otherwise I would pass on it.

MarkS · Jul 18, 2023

There's not a huge difference between fixers. they are mostly either sodium thiosulfate (powder) or ammonium thiosulfate (liquid). Most are acid, some newer versions are alkaline. Of course there are many slight variations for slightly different applications, bu they will all work.
Powdered fixer in a can should still be fine, even after 60 years.

koraks · Jul 18, 2023

MarkS said:
There's not a huge difference between fixers.

The difference between sodium thiosulfate 'plain hypo' fixer and ammonium thiosulfate 'rapid fixer' is really significant though. Especially fixing speed and degree of fixing of certain (TMAX, Delta) films. It's a very relevant distinction.

mshchem · Jul 18, 2023

Should be standard sodium thiosulfate acid fixer. If it's in rusty cans I would pass. You can make your own super cheap. I wouldn't fiddle with it. Get some nice fresh rapid fixer.
Now if it's cheap and the cans are pristine, these make a nice interior decoration

Kodachromeguy · Jul 19, 2023

When did duPont stop selling consumer photograpiic film? I tried to find a date but with no solid results. I found:

"Defender Photo Supply, an early leader in the manufacturing of black and white sheet film, plates, printing paper and instructional books, was purchased by the DuPont Company in 1945. The DuPont Imaging Systems Plant, in Rochester, New York, manufactured photographic film and chemicals and ceased operations in 1995."

I bought my first serious camera in 1968 and do not recall duPont film then.

MarkS · Jul 19, 2023

I began in photography in the early '70s (in Rochester). I never saw DuPont camera film or b/w photo paper for sale, or even heard it mentioned. (Oof course the *other* photo manufacturer in town was dominant.)
I believe that DuPont was only making materials for the graphic arts and printing industry by that time.

Xylo · Jul 19, 2023

mshchem said:
Now if it's cheap and the cans are pristine, these make a nice interior decoration

I have an old 1 lbs can of Dektol in the lab that I use to store pencils
Works very well in that regard.

relistan · Jul 19, 2023

It’s possible to make a fast fixer as a powder. But generally it would be with ammonium chloride and sodium thiosulfate. That’s effectively a rapid fixer but probably without the same capacity. So just being a powder doesn’t tell you for sure. But chances are high it’s a normal fixer.

DuPont 18F Fixer: Any Good?

MCB18

Don_ih

koraks

Moderator

MCB18

Don_ih

Paul Howell

MattKing

Moderator

MarkS

koraks

Moderator

mshchem

Kodachromeguy

MarkS

Xylo

relistan

DuPont 18F Fixer: Any Good?

Moderator

Moderator

Moderator

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency