Vintage Chemicals

Alan Johnson

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Here are three I found on ebay:
(1) EIKONOGEN.This I read is similar to metol.It seems to have fallen out of use by 1930 probably because it cost more than metol and possibly does not keep as well.
Hence it has never been used in newer formulas,D-76,Beutler,Microdol,Hutchings Pyro, various 2-bath.So it appears not known if it would be any good.
(2) AZOL.This was one of the developers based on p-aminophenol and believed to be similar to Rodinal.This sample is pre-1948.
(3)KODAK SPECIAL.I found no information about this.Each packet contains two smaller packs to be dissolved in 8oz water.It would develop films,plates and paper.
The smaller packs appear not big enough to contain as much sulfite as D-76 so I conclude it is probably the now obsolete metol-sulfite-carbonate type,but that is a guess.
Any interest in vintage chemicals?
 

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Ian Grant

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Eikonogen was discovered by Agfa's Dr Momme Andresen in 1889 it had some limited commercial use.

Azol is indeed Johnson's version of Rodinal, it goes back before WWI as did Certinal the Ilford version. Mees & Shepperd worked on similar while still at Wratten & Wainwright, later to be releases as Kodenol. They all claimed the same properties as Rodinal.

It's anyone's guess what the Kodak Special is, I've not seen it in the Kodak catalogues I have, an UK Kodak products did differ from the US.

Vintage developer are worth more for the packaging than the contents, many of which will have oxidised

Ian
 

michaelbsc

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Yes, I seem to recall that the stated shelf life of Rodinal was something like ten thousand years, but the actual working shelf life was two to three times that if the cap was left off.
 

hrst

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Stated shelf life for Rodinal by Agfa is 6 months when opened, at least in the instructions in my bottle from 2006. However, the practical shelf life is much more, as known by all .
 
OP
OP

Alan Johnson

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Azol test:
My AZOL bottle was half full with crystals on the bottom (aminophenolate?) and floating on the surface (not known).I guess the half full was due to evaporation over 60+ years through the stopper,I don't think they would have sold it with a lot of crystals in it (nearly 10mm deep).The contents were filtered and the clear solution looks like fresh Rodinal,just a slight color.
A roll of Delta 100 was exposed at EI 25-200,average metering,dull day,at 1/3 stop intervals.It was then developed in AZOL 1+40 12 min 20C (this is the time for RO9).The pH of the working solution was >12.

The result: A negative of normal density and contrast and low fog with good shadow detail at EI=100.
This shows that AZOL in particular and probably p-aminophenol Rodinal type developers in general in a SEALED bottle show no sign of deterioration after at least 62 years storage.
 

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