[pure-silver] Re: D-76 and variations

  • From: "Koch, Gerald" <gkoch02@xxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <pure-silver@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Tue, 29 Nov 2005 14:15:44 -0500

Dignan merely published the formula which was sent in.  I have never
used it and assumed that the pH was the same as regular D-76.  There has
been a long misconception that borax somehow hydrolyses and causes the
pH increase that is observed in D-76.  I believe the carbonate formula
was an attempt to overcome this assumed problem by eliminating borax.  I
still see this chesnut spouted as gospel on the web.  Strictly speaking
only D-76 is D-76 but I am willing to consider all developers that are
similar even D-76H.

-----Original Message-----
From: pure-silver-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:pure-silver-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Richard Knoppow
Sent: Tuesday, November 29, 2005 1:54 PM
To: pure-silver@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [pure-silver] Re: D-76 and variations



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Koch, Gerald" <gkoch02@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: <pure-silver@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, November 29, 2005 10:38 AM
Subject: [pure-silver] Re: D-76 and variations


While there may be no official Kodak version of D-76 
containing
carbonate there was a variant in the Dignan Newsletter 1973 
for one
which uses 3.0 g of sodium bisulfite and 8.0 g of anhydrous 
sodium
carbonate for the buffer system.

-----Original Message-----
From: pure-silver-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:pure-silver-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of 
Richard Knoppow
Sent: Monday, November 28, 2005 5:42 PM
To: pure-silver@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [pure-silver] Re: D-76 and variations


   Since D-76 has become a sort of generic term for 
developers using Borax as the accelerator, and since there 
is a plethora of developers using other alkalies, 
particularly carbonates, I don't think its valid to call 
such developers D-76 variations. Borax developers have 
certain characteristics stemming from the use of Borax 
rather than other alkalies and the term should really be 
reserved to differentiate them.
   Something to note is that the function of Hydroquinone in 
such low pH developers is different than in carbonate 
developers. Carbonate produces a high enough pH to make 
Hydroquinone active as a developer, Borax does not. There is 
still an interaction between the hydroquinone and the metol. 
Ryuji Suzuki's notes to me have caused me to doubt my 
understanding of the so called superadditivity property of 
M-H developers, mostly gleaned from rather old books, but 
has not replaced it with anything else so I am left in doubt 
about what exactly happens in D-76. Clearly, there is some 
difference although it may be only capacity. Carlton and 
Crabtree did test a version of D-76 with no Hydroquinone in 
it as well as one with no Metol. The variant without Metol 
barely develops at all, the version with Metol but no 
Hydroquinone has nearly the same activity as D-76.
   I don't know what Dignan did. Perhaps he adjusted the pH 
of the carbonate-bisulfite developer to be the same as a 
Borax developer in which case I would assume the 
Hydroquinone would again be inactive as a developing agent. 
Since carbonate produces outgassing in stop baths and fixing 
baths I don't see that it has any advantage and maybe a 
disadvantage. If the purpose was to prevent the increase in 
activity he attacked it from the wrong end because the Borax 
evidently has nothing to do with it.

---
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles, CA, USA
dickburk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 

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