Lucenta Silver Chloride Emulsion

[3Dfan]

I notice there is a silver chloride type liquid emulsion for sale at Dead Link Removed. Has anyone had experience with it? Is it on par with Azo?

It seems to me that if I am ever to try cooking my own emulsion, I'd want to learn to use one of the existing liquid products first to get some coating experience.

 

[PHOTOTONE]

That is a fascinating website. Just fascinating.

 

[Photo Engineer]

Looks pretty much like what I'm making. He is right about the whites and the keeping of bromide liquid emulsions. Once coated, they keep well though.

PE

 

[PHOTOTONE]

Did you guys notice that this guy is selling a DRY emulsion in sheet or flake form that you dissolve in distilled water with a little alcohol and coat on your surface? He claims it has a much longer shelf life than liquid emulsion, produces whiter whites, and has no harmful chemicals whatsoever. Don't just go to the linked page, but look around on the whole website..there are many pages pertaining to the Lucenta products.

 

[Photo Engineer]

Drying an emulsion has been very difficult and never successful at EK. IDK all of the reasons, but the one that comes to mind is fog. Drying an emulsion causes coalescence of the grains which leads to fogging. If you don't take care, you can denature the gelatin and prevent it from gelling properly.

I'm surprised at that claim. I missed it. I wonder if he can make his in different grades of contrast?

Considering the price I pay for silver nitrate and gelatin, I have found that my emulsion would run about $100 / Kg of emulsion to do about 90 8x10 prints. I didn't see his price there, but my cost seems to be pretty close to the price of other emulsions that are for sale.

BTW, I am not selling mine.

PE

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

He's selling his for $99 for 100 grams to make 1 liter working strength emulsion.

 

[Photo Engineer]

That sounds pretty close to what mine would be if dry. Mine would be just a bit heavier actually.

PE

 

[PHOTOTONE]

The inventors claim (as stated on the website) for Lucenta emulsion is that one of the drawbacks of liquid emulsion is the higher formation of fog, which is eliminated in this dry emulsion form. Also, extended keeping. There are pages and pages of info on that site.

 

[Photo Engineer]

I noted that they said that for bromide emulsions and for emulsions that were kept in stores and even for emulsions reheated over and over again. All of that is correct.

I have never worked with dried emulsions and cannot comment.

Anyone here brave enough to buy some? I would like to hear comments.

PE

 

[Photo Engineer]

I've read over their published formula. It is similar to the chloride emulsions in the book Silver Gelatin. It is also somewhat similar to mine. He does not describe how he dries it, nor does he add information on spreading agents (surfactants) and hardeners.

That particular emulsion would be lower in speed than mine, but higher in contrast if things go as they normally do with time, temperature and other factors.

Looks good to me.

PE