Potassium Cyanate for Fixing tintypes?

cynan · Feb 9, 2007

Please forgive me for asking,

I'm chemically inept.

Would Potassium Cyanate (CKNS) work as a fixer (for tintypes) ?

Wanting to get the 'coffee cream' look Potassium Cyanide gives to images.

I'm guessing 'NO' is the answer - Just thought I'd ask the experts.

Thanks

JG Motamedi · Feb 9, 2007

No.

And if you are chemically inept do yourself a favor and use hypo.

Some have claimed that using rapid fix without hardener gives a more coffee & cream look. I prefer that silver look and happily use hypo.

Photo Engineer · Feb 9, 2007

A more appropriate or familiar rendering of the formula(s) and name are KSCN or KCNS and Potassium Thiocyanate. I hate to pick nits, but your rendering of it may be unfamiliar to many here who do mix their own chemicals.

It is not related to Cyanide in any way except superficially.

In any event, I agree, use hypo.

PE

Ole · Feb 9, 2007

Photo Engineer said:
I hate to pick nits, but your rendering of it may be unfamiliar to many here who do mix their own chemicals....

It's unfamiliar to at least one person who does mix his own chemicals, and has a university degree in chemistry too.

There are nits and nits, but chemical nits can be vital. There's a big difference between a "C and an N" and a "-CN", and between an "S and a CN" and a -SCN group.

Forget "hypo" too, if you can - that's an outdated name which has no meaning outside of photography and even there is frequently confused with "hypo clear" and "hypo eliminator". The correct term is thiosulfate (or -sulphate). When used alone, "hypo" usually means sodium thiosulfate, but there is no guarantee this is correct

Jordan · Feb 10, 2007

Count me in as another confused chemist.

KSCN = potassium thiocyanate
KCNO = potassium cyanate
KCN = potassium cyanide

The chemistry of each of these salts is pretty different. They can all be hazardous, but KCN is much more hazardous than the other two.

RobertP · Feb 10, 2007

potassium cyanate is the active ingredient in products like cyanol. Used for killing crabgrass. It is probably used in a lot of herbicides. As you can tell by looking at my yard I have no experience with it.

Potassium Cyanate for Fixing tintypes?

cynan

JG Motamedi

Photo Engineer

Ole

Moderator

Jordan

RobertP

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