Moersch Finol formula

[Relayer]

Hello

After read Finol MSDS I was found that this developer have very interesting formula different from other known stain developers. Developer (like to PyrocatHD) have two part pyro in acid solution and alkali as activator. Dilution for working solution is 1+1+100. So we can recover from MSDS and write formula for working developer solution:

Sodium Sulfite 1..1.5g
Catechol 0.1..0.5g
Pyrogallol 0.1..0.4g
CD-1 0.1..0.4g
KBr >0.1g
Potassium Carbonate 2.5..3g
Sodium Bicarbonate 1..1.5g
Sodium Metabisulfite 1..1.5g
Water 1l

Some remarks:
1) Finol use N,N-DIETHYL-1,4-PHENYLENDIAMMONIUMSULFAT CAS 6065-27-6. Its also known as color developer agent CD-1. Now this CD is obsolete and used in super-fine-grain BW developers (see Calbe A49 MSDS)
2) Finol use both Catechol and Pyrogallol
3) CD-1 is superadditive with Catechol/Pyrogallol
4) Catechol and Pyrogallol isn't superadditive. From my experience I can guess that Pyrogallol boost activity of developer while Catechol produce more stain
5) Finol use carbonate/bicarbonate buffer system unlike to most other pyro-devs which use just alkali
6) I think that amount of KBr is wrong. I guess its must be less than 0.1g/l

 

[Ian Grant]

Using Pyrogallol or Pyrocatechin with a colour developing agent is similar in many ways to Meritol a proprietary Johnsons developing agent actualy a combination product of Pyrocatechin and paraphenylediamine.

The main developers of this type the long gone Johnsons range, M&B Promicrol, Agfa/Orwo Calbe A49 all give excellent fine grain with a good balance of sharpness and tonality with no speed loss. These developers had were once very popular in Europe.

Promicrol and A49 were both re-formulated when their main developing agent ceased to be manufacture in bulk, it was used in Russian in a now obsolete non photographic manufacturing process.

These developers are worth looking at still.

Ian

 

[Relayer]

Ian, difference between Finol and other S.F.G. developers with PPD/CD is that Finol working at very high "carbonate" pH and have about 10 times less concentration of developer agents.
CD-1 is still availabe in my country and I'm planning try to make Finol clone. but correct amount of dev.agents is open question

 

[darkosaric]

Ian, you told that pyrocat HD is like rodinal on steroids - is finol or tanol from Moersch similar to pyrocat HD? I am asking because I can easily order from Moersch site, but to prepare by myself pyrocat is not so easy. I never tried staining developers, I think it is good time for me to start now .

 

[Ian Grant]

Ian, difference between Finol and other S.F.G. developers with PPD/CD is that Finol working at very high "carbonate" pH and have about 10 times less concentration of developer agents.
CD-1 is still availabe in my country and I'm planning try to make Finol clone. but correct amount of dev.agents is open question

This is the approach in Pyrocat & Rodinal although this has only 1 developing agent, dilute at a higher pH. I've a spreadsheet with many of these developesr at their working strengths and they are more comparable than first appearances.

Ian, you told that pyrocat HD is like rodinal on steroids - is finol or tanol from Moersch similar to pyrocat HD? I am asking because I can easily order from Moersch site, but to prepare by myself pyrocat is not so easy. I never tried staining developers, I think it is good time for me to start now .

Tanol might be the closer choice but I've not looked at these developers in detail.

Ian

 

[Alan Johnson]

Crawley,BJP Dec 23 1960,Jan27 1961,experimented with dihydroxybenzenes and PPD derivatives (solvent reducing agents) showing more superadditivity,but not as staining developers,he added sulfite:

FX-10:
Sodium Sulfite anh....................100g
Hydroquinone..............................6g
diethyl paraphenylene diamine........6g
Borax.........................................4g
Boric Acid...................................4g
Water to....................................1L
Develop FP3 ~ 7.5m 68F