Mixing Kodak C-41 Flexicolor Bleach III Question

[Tom Taylor]

In mixing small quanities (3L) from the 12.5 gallon bladder kit, is it better - as far as product freshness is concerned - to mix the replenisher and then prepare the working tank solution from the replenisher as needed? In other words, does adding the bleach starter substract from the shelf life of the working tank solution? :confused:

 

[epatsellis]

Bleach shelf life is similar to rodinal, don't worry about it.

 

[Athiril]

I just mix it up as I need it, usually 500mL - 1L at a time, and use that for whats its good for.

 

[Tom Taylor]

I got use to using the ready made product and would perfer not having to mix it everytime I need to develope. 3L of working solution fits in the 2.7L ready to use container that I paid $38 + tax for. I'd rather mix it 3L at a time andI'm wondering if I would be better off making 3L of just the replenisher and adding the starter as I need it or make 3L of working tank solution (with starter) and using it as ready made?

 

[Mike Wilde]

I does depend how you use it. My roller processor swallows 1.85L of blix, so to that I use starter, and then as I consume its capacity I add replenisher.

If for yopur c-41 you are using the bleach one shot, then starter is not a big deal. The ingredients in starter, as far as I know, and others intimate, don't deteriorate. Usually they adjust pH, to compensate for carry over, and for a bleach, may drop in something to be oxidized,so the bleach is not too hot on a fresh tank.

There is no reason why I cannot see reusing and replenishing bleach. It is quite feasuble to visulalay access it's progress and spot when it is not working. Otherwise, use to the rated capacity ad toss it to HHW.

 

[Tom Taylor]

I usually use the bleach, fix and stabilizer to capacity and the developer one shot. However this weekend I only shot 4 sheets of color so I used the minimum tank volume (300mL - actually 270mL) and tossed.

I had about 150mL of unused ready-to-use bleach remaining in the container and I noticed a bright blue or purple coloring around the cap threads and the remaining bleach inside was also blue or purple. so I tossed it rather than mixing it with the fresh working tank bleach that I had just mixed. I've been thinking about this on and off during the day and I'm sure the bleach had oxidized notwithstanding that the expiration date stamped on the container is "08-2011" and the manufacture date is "0934" (i.e., the 34th week of 2009). So I'm thinking that I should mix the replenisher without shaking to oxygenate it and mix the working tank solution as needed and shaking for 30 seconds to oxygenate the bleach.

Incidentially the negatives came out great and I did not notice even the slightest pink color in the stablizer as I have in the past. Could it be the bleach that was causing the discolorization in the past?

 

[epatsellis]

Do some research here on Bleaches, especially PE's posts. Bleach needs to be oxidized to work, and you can regen bleach with a simple airpump and stone (a la aquarium pump) Developer and fixer should be used one shot, bleach can be regenerated and reused.

 

[Photo Engineer]

Bleach starter in not needed, strictly speaking.

PE