TF4 questions

[jstraw]

1: Is it normal for my fixer to become discolored by my staining developer even if I'm using an adequate water-bath stop?

2: Is it ok to dump spent TF4 into a silver recovery system with acidic fixers?

Thanks.

[magic823]

I think the answer is yes for both of your questions. A lot of the discoloration is caused by the anti-halation layer. I know with T-Max films it takes double the fixing time, just to get that layer off.

[Tom Hoskinson]

1: Is it normal for my fixer to become discolored by my staining developer even if I'm using an adequate water-bath stop?

2: Is it ok to dump spent TF4 into a silver recovery system with acidic fixers?

Thanks.

1. Jack, the color in your fix may be film dye(s). What color is it?

2. Should create no problems, Jack.

[jstraw]

The fixer is sort of lightly raisin-colored.

[Mike Wilde]

I shoot plus x pan (old stock) , no stain in fix.

But if I shoot tmax100 or tmax400, there is a 'pinkinsh' is the way that I recall it- dye that takes forever to diffuse out of/off of the film. So echoing the previous post, yes, fix for longer than twice clearing time in TF-4 to get the dye to clear.

[pgomena]

I find I get a little bit of brownish color in my TF-4 fix after using PMK, even after rinsing the film in water. I usually only use one quick rinse after developing. Some folks recommend three changes of rinse water. I just keep my film fix separate from paper fix so there's no chance of cross-contamination.

Peter Gomena

[jstraw]

Thanks all.

[Maine-iac]

I think the answer is yes for both of your questions. A lot of the discoloration is caused by the anti-halation layer. I know with T-Max films it takes double the fixing time, just to get that layer off.

I struggled for years with the difficulty of "getting the red out" of the T-grain films, and wasted a lot of fixer doing it before I discovered that it's really a function of the pH of the developer.

When I lowered the pH of my Phenidone/Vitamin C/Metaborate or Carbonate developer by the addition of a pinch (about 1/8 tsp.) of metabisulfite, suddenly almost all of the antihalation pink layer came off in the developer, and the rest disappeared in the fixer without increasing the fixing time beyond two minutes (rapid fix mixed 1:4).

Don't profess to have the detailed chemical knowledge for a complete explanation. But it works. Now my developer pH is between 9 and 10, and the pink problem is gone.

Larry

[Tom Hoskinson]

The fixer is sort of lightly raisin-colored.

lightly raisin-colored fits with a film antihalation dye or sensitizing dye source.

[jstraw]

New TF4 question...

I just went to mix some up from an unopened 4 litre jug (my third or fourth such jug) and when I went to shake it up to mix the contents so I could measure out the right amount of stock, the white precipitate simply refused to suspend in solution. No matter how much I shake it, a white sludge that looks like Sharpei wrinkles, refuses to disolve and settles back to the bottom.

Has anyone ever seen such a thing? Any suggestions?