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Substitute Phenidone for Hydroquinone?

markbau

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Apr 16, 2009
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Location
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I want to print tomorrow, I mix my own D72 but just noticed I only have 4g of Hydroquinone, I have lots of Phenidone. Can I use the Phenidone to replace the hydroquinone? I think I'll give it a try but will be curious as to what I might expect on FB paper.
 
Phenidone needs hydroquinone to function properly with the exception of ascorbic acid derivatives. Probably best to buy more hydroquinone.
 
D-72 is diluted for use, so with 4 g HQ, you might be able to make enough for one printing session?

If you can get Vitamin C at the drugstore/chemist's, make Chris Patton's E-72. Recipe website isn't loading for me (http://home.alphalink.com.au/~simgrant/jackspcs/pde72.htm), here's what I have jotted down:

Phenidone: 0.3 g
S. Sulphite: 45 g
Ascorbic Acid (Vit. C): 19 g
KBr 1.9g
S. Carbonate (washing soda): 90 g
H20 to make 1 L

Use at dilution 1:1 to 1:4
Obviously doesn't keep very well, but not horribly either IME. But to avoid the issue, you can just make working solution directly, mixing it at half strength or less, and use up in one session.

Edit: I've just added it to the Photrio resoures at https://www.photrio.com/forum/resources/chris-pattons-e-72-ascorbate-based-variation-of-d-72.460/. And corrected the amount of SS.
 
Last edited:
In case anyone is interested I mixed up using 4g of HQ and substituted the rest of the HQ with Phenidone. All I got was a low contrast print developer.
 
That might come in handy for contrasty sun-and-shade shots taken in summer.
 
You could have made 1 liter of working solution ID-62, has both Phenidone and Hydroquinone. 1 liter of stock solution uses 12g HQ and is diluted 1+3 for use. I think everybody should have their own "cookbook" with favorite recipes using popular combinations of developer agents.
 

+1
I like ID-62. It has ample tray-life, the concentrate is long lasting, and the color is neutral with Ilford papers. Liquidol gives a slight green tint, which is why I switched to ID-62.
 
I'm a home-brew ID-62 fan as well. I mix up a couple of liters per session using spoon measures. Quick and easy.

One can vary the tone of the prints somewhat by varying the ration of bromide to BTA in the formula, but I like it really well as is.

Best,

Doremus
 
Doremus Scudder said:
I'm a home-brew ID-62 fan as well. I mix up a couple of liters per session using spoon measures. Quick and easy.
One can vary the tone of the prints somewhat by varying the ration of bromide to BTA in the formula, but I like it really well as is.
Click to expand...

I also add 4 g/L of disodium EDTA to the concentrate (= 1 g/L in working solution), as that lets me mix both concentrate and working solutions with tap water, with no cloudiness/precipitation.

Mark
 
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