Lith developer shelf life

Rich Ullsmith · May 3, 2007

Getting ready for a lith printing session, and was wondering about my developers: kodalith super rt and maco. I've always used LD 20, which has a published shelf life of 60 days after opening. I found this to be conservative, but what about the kodalith and maco? Does it help to decant the Kodalith into smaller bottles for storage and use, or does it matter?

Also, once the developer is expired and the lith effect is gone, is there any way to sweeten it back up again? Is it A that oxidizes, or B? Or both?

Any wisdom on this would be greatly appreciated.

Mike Té · May 3, 2007

I recently mixed up some Kodalith. IIRC, shelf life of working solutions is 6 mo. in an airtight bottle.

Ryuji · May 3, 2007

I think Kodalith, if properly sealed and A and B stored separately, will last for many months. I've kept mine for a few years and it was fine, in a tightly closed, completely filled PET bottles.

Also, lith developer for lith printing can be made very simply from a couple of raw chemicals. You need hydroquinone, a bit of sulfite, a bit of bromide and carbonate or other suitable alkali. Google "Burning Lithprint Developer" and you'll find it. So there is little need to rush to scavenge existing stocks of Kodalith... which some people do.

Lowell Huff · May 3, 2007

Once you add water and combine the parts, the CLOCK is ticking. It may be good for eight hours.

Mark Layne · May 3, 2007

It varies. I can use Kodalith for more than a year. The Dupont Cronalith I use is 15 years old. Can't vouch for LD20. If used for lith printing as opposed to film they all give different results.
Mark

Rich Ullsmith · May 3, 2007

Thanks, everybody. Ryuji, I've seen your recipe before and that's what's next after the stuff I got on hand. I always thought that A and B separate would store for many months, but I couldn't get infectious development with LD20 after about six months (with paper I know to be lithable).

Ryuji · May 4, 2007

Rich Ullsmith said:
[...]I couldn't get infectious development with LD20 after about six months (with paper I know to be lithable).

Does it still develop perfectly but not lith effect?

If this is true, without knowing the formula of LD20, my first guess would be that more sulfite is released from sulfite-aldehyde adduct which is typically used as the "sulfite buffer" in classic lith developers. But without knowing the formula I can't really tell.

Did you ask Fotospeed if they have any info to help you on this?

Rich Ullsmith · May 4, 2007

Develop perfectly . . .hm. No. Can't get a strong black. I've been using the stuff to redevelop bleached RC prints, with some interesting results. And per SOP, I didn't bother to read all the LD20 literature until after I started having problems. Fotospeed says it should be used within 60 days after opening. At about six months I started having problems, but I thought it was the papers, as I was testing twenty or thirty packs I got at an estate sale. Then I went back to Foma MG, and nothing.

Lith developer shelf life

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