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Fomadon R09 longevity

If you google "R09 shelflife" You get all kinds of mixed results./

I was a bit taken aback when I saw someone mention elsewhere their R09 was dead after less than 3yrs seeing as i've got a 12yr old bottle full of crystals and deep brown which still works (used it last night).

I wonder what causes the difference in shelf life? I've done nothing to keep it from expiring.
 
It would be interesting to know whether the difference in shelf life correlates with different manufacturers.
 
I have been making DS-10 with Phenidone because I have a good supply, and haven't noticed any problems, although I don't have Dimezone to compare. In terms of holding up to XTOL, my main use has been with Kodak TMY-2, and results have been very good.
Do you get a decent shelf life using Phenidone? If you do, I'm going to try it.