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Metol and Hydroquinone expiration?

pstake

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After a long hiatus, I am getting ready to process some film and make some prints. I mix my own developers for film and paper and have some chemistry that's been on the shelf about 1.5-2 years.

I have about 50g each of metol and hydroquinone, both stored in the plastic bottles they came in from the Formulary. They have both sort of clumped up, I assume from humidity. The metol looks slightly tannish.

My question: I'm wondering if these will still be active and useable or if I have to order all new chemistry before mixing my developers.
 
Last edited:
pstake said:
...stored in the plastic bottles they came in from the Formulary
I'm wondering if these will still be active and useable or if I have to order all new chemistry before mixing my developers.
Click to expand...
Why don't you ask the Formulary?

- Leigh
 
I don't think you'll have a problem with either one, but that's just my opinion. I can't tell you how old my Hydroquinone is and my metol isn't far behind. I'm talking at least ten years old. Both stored in the original Kodak heavy poly jars. I did buy some new metol, but that was because I was almost out. The old and the new metol seem to work exactly the same, as far as I can tell, when I mixed up a batch of Pyrocat-MC.
 

Thanks, John.
 
Ian Grant said:
Both last decades stored properly.

Ian
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Ian, what type of container should I use to store? And then in what conditions should I keep the container? (e.g. dark, dry, above a certain temperature, etc.)
 
I have glass jars of both that are more than 50 years. They may take on a slight violet gray color but are still fine.
 
Gerald C Koch said:
I have glass jars of both that are more than 50 years. They may take on a slight violet gray color but are still fine.
Click to expand...

I have Phenidone made in 1962 that's just as good as new Phenidone despite US sites/books saying it doesn't keep well, Ilford always said it does keep well - they first synthesised and Patented it so should know.

Ian
 
Ian Grant said:
I have Phenidone made in 1962 that's just as good as new Phenidone despite US sites/books saying it doesn't keep well, Ilford always said it does keep well - they first synthesised and Patented it so should know.

Ian
Click to expand...

Ian, this is my experience so far. I have two bottles. The much older one (~50 years) is packaged in glass and is fine. The newer one in an acrylic jar. The newer one went to tar in about a year. Besides the difference in packaging I think the initial quality of the product also plays a roll. Interestingly a sample of Dimezone in the same plastic jar is still fine after 10 years.
 
I have Metol and Phenidone in plastic containers that were all purchased in 1992, however the containers were all assembled from bulk stock in 1982, when I believe that particular business was started. As these were the biggest containers, and therefore the most expensive, they were never sold. When the owner developed some serious health issues, he started moving stock with what was effectively a fire sale. I purchased 4 x 500g containers of Metol, this is the last one I have left. The Phenidone I bought, which was 2Kg, still has a tad left.

Storage has always been in my darkroom side room, with prevailing temperatures from around 1ºC in winter through to 47ºC in summer. They all work.

Attached are pictures of the Metol container, with the second one being that of the innards, which look more tan coloured than show up on this mobile phone picture.

Mick.




 

This is helpful. Thank you. Would anyone care to comment on viability of Glycin stored in in a dark drawer in the bottom of my refrigerator? It's slightly tannish but not dark brown.
 
Glycin supposedly goes bad quickly, but I have used 10-year old glycin stored in my freezer. It has turned somewhat tannish. Id suggest mixing a little glycin only developed and developing a test strip.
 
juan said:
Glycin supposedly goes bad quickly, but I have used 10-year old glycin stored in my freezer. It has turned somewhat tannish. Id suggest mixing a little glycin only developed and developing a test strip.
Click to expand...

That's what I'll do. Thanks, Juan.
 
Glycin is a bit paradoxical in its behavior. The solid keeps poorly while in a developer its resistance to oxidation is excellent compared to other developing agents.

This has been said several times before. No chemicals should be stored in a refrigerator or freezer that is used for food!!!


.
 
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