Stabilization process

Hey,
I would like to use the stabilization processor from early 1970s with the Kodak Ektamatic SC papers (paper base). I am looking for a place/person willing to sell some of these original vintage papers. Any suggestions ?
Thank you.

no luck

I looked into this a while ago and the story seems to be that stabilization is one dead duck.

Many of the stabilization papers had significant amounts of developer incorporated in their emulsions, so it is unlikely any of those would have survived the passage of time.

Mhhh, but I need it for my research...so I just have to find some I am constantly browsing Ebay...but very little luck so far.

Thanks Matt, I am aware of the incorporated developer and possible fogging of the paper...still I would love to give it a try.

I think Matt tried to say that decades of time plus aerial oxygen may have killed the embedded development agent. You may have to completely change the first bath to get a useful image.

You may get some results looking for work by Grant Haist from the 60s, 70s and 80s. He was one of the researchers.

PE

Some of the RC papers used to be processable in a stabilization processor, but still needed fixing, but I think more modern papers don't have enough developing agent. I am thinking of Original ILFOSPEED.

Cipsik said:

Mhhh, but I need it for my research...so I just have to find some I am constantly browsing Ebay...but very little luck so far.

Click to expand...

Big users of stabilization papers were newspapers who used it to make quick prints for the platemakers and printers where the paper was used as the output from filmsetters - an early form of digital typesetting. Although most newspapers no longer have darkrooms and printers have long ago abandoned filmsetting, you just might find a box of this paper around old printshops or regional newspaper offices. As others have said, it did not keep well. If you find it in one of these places it will almost certainly be single weight glossy on a fibre base. If the developing agent is still active in the paper, the paper can be developed using little more than a solution of just about any alkali then fixed. Otherwise it can be developed and fixed like any other black & white paper. OzJohn

The paper first passed through an alkaline bath, sodium hydroxide IIRC. Then it passed through a thiocyanate bath which stabilized the print. Without proper fixing the prints faded and/or became stained within a year. I believe the incorporated developer was hydroquinone. The shelf life of the paper was rather short. Certainly less than conventional papers. Stabilized prints could not come in contact with regular prints without them being contaminated. Another negative quality was that the prints always remained somewhat moist. This was worse on humid days. Spiratone sold a lot of processors and paper when the technology was popular.

I loved that technology and the Kodak paper was great---even the cheapest lenses produced an optically brilliant print.