Shipping Chemicals Internationally

I live in Nairobi, Kenya and I’m an amateur 5x4 photographer and Kallitype printer. I have access to some chemistry locally but others are not available. I recently bought chemicals for making Pyrocat to have someone bring back with them from the US only to realise that they are all hazmat and can’t be shipped in luggage. A quick check of most parcel carriers seems to indicate that hazmat items are not allowed.

For those of you outside the US/EU how do you get your chemicals? Are there suppliers that will ship internationally?

I’ve already had to learn to make ferric oxalate, I don’t believe I’m up for making my own catechol.

Thanks,

Philip

I recall reading you can make pyrogallol from oak galls. Whether it's practical to do so for photographic use, I don't know, but those are available from various sources and as far as I'm aware, aren't considered hazardous (they're used for making homemade ink for the quill pen crowd). I'm not sure how (or if) you can get from that to catechol.

If it's a staining developer you want, the original Caffenol (without ascorbate) may work for you (without requiring international shipment). Cheap instant coffee, laundry soda (sodium carbonate monohydrate), and water -- produces high acutancy (no solvent ingredients at all), pronounced grain (which will be hardly noticeable in 4x5 and I don't find objectionable even in 35mm), and imagewise stain that masks grain and increases contrast in UV-sensitive processes. It's slow working, and stinks, but any supermarket in Nairobi probably has the ingredients.

For international shipping of actual catechol, the best I could suggest would be FedEx surface shipping, if that's available to Kenya. Ground (meaning ocean) shipping is slow-slow-slow, but many hazmat limitations are specific to air freight. For instance, within the US, loose lithium batteries can only be shipped via ground transport, because common mail and package courier shipments sometimes fly on passenger airlines.

Maybe the people at the Formulary could advise. I'm in Australia and I received some glycin from them, but I don't remember if it was the post or a company. It was definitely by air.

You could ask this company if they would ship you catechol:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Catechol...751039&hash=item1edfd170d5:g:hM0AAOSw5FJa5tvo