Oh, that's great! I will add borax at the end gram by gram until I reach the desired pH 9. Thanks for this information!
One more question, maybe you have the answer
It's there to control the pH and form a buffer with borax. As the products of development happen, this will prevent the pH of the solution from drifting. So however it's formed, you want to have a pH about the right number, and enough boric acid and borax to buffer it around that pH so it stays there.
The pH will have the biggest effect on grain and development time. It shouldn't affect too much in the narrow range we're talking about here.
If you are within 0.25 of where it's supposed to be, it will probably be fine. I don't know what pH it's *supposed* to be, but I plugged the numbers into a buffer calculator and get around 9 for those. That seems to be in line with the Microphen number as well.
Oh, that's great! I will add borax at the end gram by gram until I reach the desired pH 9. Thanks for this information!
Borax on its own in water has pH slightly above 9.2. If something acidic pulls pH down below 9, then very high amounts of Borax will be needed to bring it back above 9. You may need something more alkaline than Borax, e.g. Sodium Metaborate.
I am afraid that I don't have any sodium metaborate in my photo chemicals closet. I could order some, but I think it would more easier to keep phenidone mixed in propylene glycol which maybe doesn't react with borax.
Oh, that's great! I will add borax at the end gram by gram until I reach the desired pH 9. Thanks for this information!
One more question, maybe you have the answerI found the ID-68R replenisher formula on web but I couldn't find an ""official" replenisher amount needed after each roll . Some people say that 9ml after each roll is the Ilford value from the '80s for Microphen, but I kind of doubt about those 9ml, because other phenidone developers like Xtol requires 70ml of replenisher.
The large amount of Xtol needed for replenishment is (at least partly) due to its replenisher being the plain developer itself. Most replenishable developers have a different formula for the replenisher which is more alkaline and has more developing agent than the plain developer.
Kodak could have formulated a specific replenisher for Xtol, in which case less than 70mL would probably have been required.
If you have the ability to do that easily it would make things simpler for sure.
Any specific temperature recommended for dissolving in propylene glycol? Or room temperature is just going to be enough?
On the other hand, having a relatively large volume of replenisher means that a relatively large volume of development byproducts are removed each time the working solution is replenished.
Removing some of those byproducts is equally as important as adding new developing agent.
That larger volume is probably the reason that X-Tol can be replenished indefinitely. For most replenishers that used smaller amounts, the build-up of byproducts meant that the working solutions had more finite lives.
Heating it really helps. I use 60-80C. You don't want to go much over that to keep it from off-gassing. The phenidone should dissolve readily at that temp. I microwave it in a glass shot glass and do 10 secs at a time.
Heating it really helps. I use 60-80C. You don't want to go much over that to keep it from off-gassing. The phenidone should dissolve readily at that temp. I microwave it in a glass shot glass and do 10 secs at a time.
Looks probably OK to me. It can be quite clear to slightly pink/yellow depending on concentration. It has probably oxidizied a little, but when you add it to solution with the rest of the developer I would expect the color to go away.
So the propylene glycol wasn't pure enough, you think? Actually it was yellow/pink tinted, but my bathroom mirror-light it's a 3200K led spot, so I guess that a proper white-balance is hard to get. with a smartphone. This oxidation is reducing the developing strength? Maybe some potasium/sodium metabisulphite added in propylene glycol before phenidone would prevent any oxidation?
........Maybe some potasium/sodium metabisulphite added in propylene glycol before phenidone would prevent any oxidation?
Phenidone often looks a bit pink until other components are added.
Would a bit of metabisulphite dissolve and be helpful?
Phenidone and its derivatives, if left to their devices, go through at least two oxidation steps during development. The first stage creates this colored compound, which is surprisingly stable, and more important: it is fully reversible e.g. with a secondary developer. The stability of this first oxidation stage allows for these high ratios of P vs. Q or C in practical developers.Phenidone often looks a bit pink until other components are added.
Phenidone and its derivatives, if left to their devices, go through at least two oxidation steps during development. The first stage creates this colored compound, which is surprisingly stable, and more important: it is fully reversible e.g. with a secondary developer. The stability of this first oxidation stage allows for these high ratios of P vs. Q or C in practical developers.
Therefore I would not worry too much about moderate discoloration. Often I used discolored Dimezone-S in PG to mix E-6 FD, and as soon as I added the HQMS-K the color all but disappeared.
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