Old Agfa Atomal / Orwo A49 / Calbe A49 questions

[James1]

I have used the stock solution over a period of 2...3 months without any degradation. For 1+1 dilution I filled small bottles which remained unopened until I use them. They last even longer, more than half a year.

Thanks Uwe. That's actually pretty good I think. I have 2l packets for the most part, so glad to know I have a reasonable chance of using it up!

 

[Gerald C Koch]

When I suggested Metol as a substitute for Atomal I did so for a number of reasons. Among these are the fact that both chemicals are related in structure and belong to the same Kendall-Pelz group being based on aminophenol. Developing agents such as CD-1 are based on paraphenylene diamine and are in a different group. Their use proposes some different problems which Calbe may have solved with chemicals which do not appear in the MSDS. Another consideration was ease of access and price. The color developing agents may be hard to find and are usually more expensive. If Metol does not produce fine enough grain then Glycin is another possibility. It too is based on the aminophenol structure but is less active than Metol. It is also in the same KP group as Metol. By being less active it probably behaves more like Atomal. But again more expensive and harder to obtain for some in other parts of the world.

No matter what developing agent is substituted for Atomal, it is highly unlikely that the resulting developer will exhibit all the properties of the original Atomal developer.

 

[piu58]

> I have 2l packets for the most part

Here in Germany the 2 l packages contain 2 pieces 1 l packages. 1 l ist sufficient for 10 film which is quite a adequate amount.

In my younger day I used 600 ml packages for 6 films. 600 ml was the amount the most devleoper tanks need.

 

[AgX]

@Ian - interesting. I'm sure one of my reformulated packets of A49 stated one of the sachets contained CD1. That perhaps is the case for modern Calbe A49, but I don't have access to the MSDS to check.

@gorbas - thanks. Would love a copy of the whole book so not practical - but as mentioned, if anyone reading this knows of one for sale, I would be interested!

Calbe offer some CD-standard developing agent as raw chemical, but not CD-1. That may mean, they don't use it in A49, don't make A49 any longer, or keep it for themselves.
Make your decision.

 

[Ian Grant]

CD-1 is in Calbe's A49 MSDS

Ian

 

[mohmad khatab]

CD-1 is in Calbe's A49 MSDS

Ian

I don't have (CD1) but I do (CD2) and I added it instead of (CD1) Do you think it will work fine?
Or do you think we need (CD4)?
It is also available with me, would you recommend using it?

 

[Ian Grant]

Crawley suggested CD-2 in an ultra-fine grain developer so might be worth a try, Kodak used CD3 in one as well.

You need to try and do a test.

Ian

 

[mohmad khatab]

Crawley suggested CD-2 in an ultra-fine grain developer so might be worth a try, Kodak used CD3 in one as well.

You need to try and do a test.

Ian

I mixed the developer, and it was difficult to dissolve, and it took a little hydroxide ...
but I do not know ,,
With regard to temperature and time ,,
What is the starting point?

 

[Ian Grant]

7-8 mins at 20ºC, normal inversion agitation.

Ian

 

[Tom Kershaw]

I guess this is the modern commercial version: http://www.adox.de/Photo/adox-film-developer/atomal-49/ ?

 

[mohmad khatab]

7-8 mins at 20ºC, normal inversion agitation.

Ian

I do not know -
What is the correct pH number - I feel the solution is very effective -
What is the correct number,
I started to suspect my PH meter

 

[Alan Johnson]

As far as I can make out from the msds it contains borax and boric acid so it's pH would be below that of Borax (9.2)

 

[mohmad khatab]

As far as I can make out from the msds it contains borax and boric acid so it's pH would be below that of Borax (9.2)

Current number is 8.4 - The package has been sold to a colleague as is, without trial or test. He also got a developer (FX10)
The price is a swap - he will pay the cost of repairing a Ricoh and other Nikon cameras.
- I think it is a very fair deal. Most likely it is a win-win situation.
- I don't know what the results will be - but I'm optimistic.
Thank you, my dear brother - may God bless you.