Microwaving Chemistry

nickandre · Jan 3, 2009

Say...I don't feel like tempering....

Will it harm the chemistry? Will my microwave still be usable afterwards?

Andrey Donchev · Jan 4, 2009

I do this all the time, but I brought an old microwave in the darkroom. I wouldn't use it for food again! Life is too short and fragile.

Dan Henderson · Jan 4, 2009

I quite often put my distilled water in the microwave to warm it up when making solutions if the darkroom is cold. And I quite often heat up lith developer in the micro. But I bought a garage sale microwave for $20 for the darkroom. I would not put photographic chemicals in a microwave that I intended to put food in afterwards. Sounds like really bad lab mojo to me.

fschifano · Jan 4, 2009

Won't harm the chemistry, and won't harm the microwave oven either. But you are bound to splash some chemistry around in there, so I wouldn't use it for food afterward. Ask me if I follow my own advice. No. I reheat my coffee in there too. But to be fair, I wipe down the interior with a clean wet towel each time I use it.

Dan Williams · Jan 4, 2009

In my darkroom I have an old microwave that I picked up very cheap at a yard sale. I made a stand for it so that it sits below my sink and is out of the way. Mostly I use mine to heat my potassium oxalate developer for Pt/Pd printing and also to dry FB test strips - it turns RC into blister packs.

Dan

fschifano · Jan 4, 2009

DarkroomDan said:
- it turns RC into blister packs.

That it does. Fortunately, a hair dryer is very effective for RC test strips

Shawn Dougherty · Jan 4, 2009

I microwave my distilled water when making my developer and such. I'm not sure about nuking chemistry though.... I think there are some longer threads on APUG somewhere if you search. There are those who recommend against it.

nickandre · Jan 4, 2009

I have tempered one too many pitchers of E6 chemistry. The problem comes with water wasting. In order to temp quickly enough before the bath cools, I need to dump the whole thing to fill with 120 degree water out of the tap, and bring that under control to 101 before starting the step. Repeat 2x for developers every time and I get annoyed.

donbga · Jan 5, 2009

tiberiustibz said:
I have tempered one too many pitchers of E6 chemistry. The problem comes with water wasting. In order to temp quickly enough before the bath cools, I need to dump the whole thing to fill with 120 degree water out of the tap, and bring that under control to 101 before starting the step. Repeat 2x for developers every time and I get annoyed.

Don't ever heat Nelson Gold Toner in the micowave as it ruins it. I don't know why but it does.

eclarke · Jan 5, 2009

You can buy a nice electric hotplate for under $20 at Walmart or Target...Evan Clarke

nickandre · Jan 5, 2009

donbga said:
Don't ever heat Nelson Gold Toner in the micowave as it ruins it. I don't know why but it does.

Gold is a metal. Have you ever tried tinfoil in the microwave?

donbga · Jan 5, 2009

tiberiustibz said:
Gold is a metal. Have you ever tried tinfoil in the microwave?

The gold in Nelsom gold toner is not in a metallic state.

Microwaving Chemistry

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