Rodinal version with best shelf life

[Pseudodionizy]

Hello there! Now, of course I've heard the stories about the infinite shelf life of Rodinal - but it turns out, it doesn't apply to all chemistry that is sold as Rodinal/R09/such substitutes. In particular I've heard about Fomadon R09 getting bad after just one, two years (I have a bottle of that one opened about a year ago... will have to test it but I'm not exceedingly hopeful about it). Are you familiar with any brands of Rodinal that actually have that famous long shelf life? Adox seems promising to me, but if you have any other ideas, do let me know

 

[koraks]

Cant you just buy a smaller bottle and use it up within 6-12 months or so? That way you don't have to worry about a super long shelf life.

And yes, Adox Adonal does last long. I think that's equivalent to the original Rodinal. Some other concentrated developers are long-lived as well; original HC110 comes to mind, but also Pyrocat HD in glycol.

 

[MattKing]

The longevity is also related to the containers used for it - some of the historically long-lived stuff was in dark amber glass bottles with robust rubber equipped lids.

 

[ags2mikon]

You are correct Matt. I remember the old glass rubber stoppered bottles from the 60's and that stuff had a half life of decades. As the plastic bottles arrived it began to degrade faster.

 

[eli griggs]

Adox formula, anyone?

Glass, Boston Brown Bottles with good inert lab caps should be a blessing, no?

 

[ags2mikon]

I try to keep a supply of amber boston rounds in various sizes to re bottle incoming chemicals. Just clearly label them.

 

[bdial]

I’m near the end of the bottle now, but the Adox Rodinal I’ve had has lasted well. It’s at least 2 years old and works fine. Stored in the plastic bottle it came in.

 

[retina_restoration]

I used to buy the R09 version of it, but it went bad in about 18 months once opened.
I currently have the Adox Rodinal version and it's still working "as new" at the 3 year old point.

 

[jimjm]

I have a bottle of the Adox that's now about 12 years old and half-full. I recently used it for the first time in several years after recanting it to a smaller glass bottle and the results were great.

 

[abruzzi]

I used to buy the R09 version of it, but it went bad in about 18 months once opened.
I currently have the Adox Rodinal version and it's still working "as new" at the 3 year old point.

I've used the R09 Rodinal and had the same experience--about 18 months then nothing.

 

[Pseudodionizy]

Thanks for your responses guys! It looks like the Adox Rodinal is the way to go, and I should probably get some brown glass bottles as well. I've managed to find some with ground-glass necks and stoppers, would they work well enough or are rubber stoppers preferable?

 

[dcy]

Man... I am so happy that I got Adox Rodinal and not the R09 imitation. I've only had mine for about 14 months, so I wouldn't have known if I had bought the bad one.

 

[koraks]

I got Adox Rodinal

Keep in mind that the same stuff is sold as Adonal in Europe. It has to do with the right to use the Rodinal name. Adox can do that in the US, not in the EU. Same product, different name. Adox Adonal = Adox Rodinal = AFAIK as close to the original Agfa Rodinal as you can buy today.

 

[MattKing]

Keep in mind that the same stuff is sold as Adonal in Europe. It has to do with the right to use the Rodinal name. Adox can do that in the US, not in the EU. Same product, different name. Adox Adonal = Adox Rodinal = AFAIK as close to the original Agfa Rodinal as you can buy today.

"original Agfa Rodinal" is probably more unspecific than you think.
Over the years, there have been all sorts of slightly different versions of what can rightly be referred to as "Rodinal", including some differences within the versions of Agfa Rodinal.
The R09 version is probably closer to the stuff that pre-dated the Agfa version of the 1970s, where much of the longevity lore arose from. And at least some of that came from what turned out to be packaging choices.
FWIW, the R09 version is sold as Blazinal in Canada.