Sodium Ascorbate

I have come across references to adding Sodium Ascrobate to film developer.
Can some one give me some idea on just what results from this addition?

Thanks
Alan Tippett
San Jose, CA


ATIPPETT

"ATIPPETT" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> I have come across references to adding Sodium Ascrobate
to film developer.
> Can some one give me some idea on just what results from
this addition?
>
> Thanks
> Alan Tippett
> San Jose, CA

I haven't tried a Google search but think it would find
quite a lot. Search both the web and the rec.photo.darkroom
group.
Ascorbic acid or Sodium ascorbate (they are not the same)
is a developing agent. In some ways it acts similarly to
Hydroquinone, that is it forms superadditive combinations
with other developers, particularly Metol and Phenidone.
Ascorbic acid or Sodium ascorbate is much less toxic than
Hydroquinone and has been used to replace it in some
developers. It can not be directly substituted for
Hydroquinone but the formulas are rather similar. Several
developers use combinations of Ascorbic acid with other
agents. Xtol employs it with a form of Phenidone, Ilford
Ilfosol-S combines it with Metol.
Properly formulated ascorbic acid developers, especially
those which combine it with some form of Phenidone, appear
to have some advantages in speed and fine grain qualities.
One drawback of Ascorbic acid is that it is sensitive to
free iron. When developers using it are mixed with water
with excessive Iron it can result in short life and sudden
failure of the developer. This problem has been reported as
happening with both Xtol and Ilfosol. Keeping this in mind
Ascorbic acid is not a magic developer.
There are those who recommend adding Ascorbic Acid to
Rodinal but I've never tried this personally.
Ascorbic acid has been known as a reducing agent
(developer) for many decades but until the last decade or so
its use was confined to experimental rather than practical
developers.
Its relative environmental friendliness has made it
popular in recent times.
--

---
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles, CA, USA
(E-Mail Removed)

ATIPPETT wrote:
> I have come across references to adding Sodium Ascrobate to film developer.
> Can some one give me some idea on just what results from this addition?
>
> Thanks
> Alan Tippett
> San Jose, CA

Your film will not be as likely to get scurvey.

http://www.people.virginia.edu/~rjh9u/vitac.html

--
.~. Jean-David Beyer Registered Linux User 85642.
/V\ Registered Machine 73926.
/( )\ Shrewsbury, New Jersey http://counter.li.org
^^-^^ 8:40am up 22 days, 11:12, 2 users, load average: 2.24, 2.20, 2.18

On Thu, 10 Jul 2003 08:43:53 -0400, Jean-David Beyer
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>ATIPPETT wrote:
>> I have come across references to adding Sodium Ascrobate to film developer.
>> Can some one give me some idea on just what results from this addition?
>>
>> Thanks
>> Alan Tippett
>> San Jose, CA
>
>Your film will not be as likely to get scurvey.
>
>http://www.people.virginia.edu/~rjh9u/vitac.html

When I process 35mm film, it often curls when it drys. My diagnosis
was rickets, but adding vitamin D to the developer did not help.
Should I have added it at some other point in the process (say, as a
final soak?)

-Paul

--
http://www.butzi.net

Paul Butzi wrote:

>On Thu, 10 Jul 2003 08:43:53 -0400, Jean-David Beyer
><(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>
>
>>ATIPPETT wrote:
>>
>>
>>>I have come across references to adding Sodium Ascrobate to film developer.
>>>Can some one give me some idea on just what results from this addition?
>>>
>>>Thanks
>>>Alan Tippett
>>>San Jose, CA
>>>
>>>
>>Your film will not be as likely to get scurvey.
>>
>>http://www.people.virginia.edu/~rjh9u/vitac.html
>>
>>
>
>When I process 35mm film, it often curls when it drys. My diagnosis
>was rickets, but adding vitamin D to the developer did not help.
>Should I have added it at some other point in the process (say, as a
>final soak?)
>
>-Paul
>
>
>
Actually, breaking open a Vitamin E capsule and rubbing on the oil as
the water dries off is the best way to keep the skin of the film supple.


Francis A. Miniter

"Paul Butzi" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote

> When I process 35mm film, it often curls when it dries. My diagnosis
> was rickets, but adding vitamin D to the developer did not help.

Best to stay away from that whole vitamin ricket -- only after your
money, don't you know.

Just expose your film to more sunshine and it will be fine.


--
Nicholas O. Lindan, Cleveland, Ohio (E-Mail Removed)
Consulting Engineer: Electronics; Informatics; Photonics.

Paul Butzi wrote:
> On Thu, 10 Jul 2003 08:43:53 -0400, Jean-David Beyer
> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>
>>ATIPPETT wrote:
>>
>>>I have come across references to adding Sodium Ascrobate to film developer.
>>>Can some one give me some idea on just what results from this addition?
>>>
>>>Thanks
>>>Alan Tippett
>>>San Jose, CA
>>
>>Your film will not be as likely to get scurvey.
>>
>>http://www.people.virginia.edu/~rjh9u/vitac.html
>
>
> When I process 35mm film, it often curls when it drys. My diagnosis
> was rickets, but adding vitamin D to the developer did not help.
> Should I have added it at some other point in the process (say, as a
> final soak?)
>
> -Paul
>

Well, Vitamin D is fat soluble, so you might be better off doing it in a
developer such as D-8 which is highly alkalyne and might dissolve it
better than a weak base such as Xtol or something like that. But since
few photo baths are fatty, it is probably best to buy film with the
vitamin D incorporated in the emulsion.

--
.~. Jean-David Beyer Registered Linux User 85642.
/V\ Registered Machine 73926.
/( )\ Shrewsbury, New Jersey http://counter.li.org
^^-^^ 9:20pm up 22 days, 23:52, 2 users, load average: 2.06, 2.08, 2.09

I've added SA to HC-110.
There is undoubtedly an increase of activity - one can use 50% less
HC-110 soup to develop a roll of film in the same time or shorter
times for the same dillution and contrast.

But I cannot state this improves HC-110 (grain, acutance, etc), since
I have not tested it enough; first impression is no.

Jorge


"Richard Knoppow" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:<bej8qg$lvm$(E-Mail Removed)>...
> "ATIPPETT" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> > I have come across references to adding Sodium Ascrobate
> to film developer.
> > Can some one give me some idea on just what results from
> this addition?
> >
> > Thanks
> > Alan Tippett
> > San Jose, CA
>
> I haven't tried a Google search but think it would find
> quite a lot. Search both the web and the rec.photo.darkroom
> group.
> Ascorbic acid or Sodium ascorbate (they are not the same)
> is a developing agent. In some ways it acts similarly to
> Hydroquinone, that is it forms superadditive combinations
> with other developers, particularly Metol and Phenidone.
> Ascorbic acid or Sodium ascorbate is much less toxic than
> Hydroquinone and has been used to replace it in some
> developers. It can not be directly substituted for
> Hydroquinone but the formulas are rather similar. Several
> developers use combinations of Ascorbic acid with other
> agents. Xtol employs it with a form of Phenidone, Ilford
> Ilfosol-S combines it with Metol.
> Properly formulated ascorbic acid developers, especially
> those which combine it with some form of Phenidone, appear
> to have some advantages in speed and fine grain qualities.
> One drawback of Ascorbic acid is that it is sensitive to
> free iron. When developers using it are mixed with water
> with excessive Iron it can result in short life and sudden
> failure of the developer. This problem has been reported as
> happening with both Xtol and Ilfosol. Keeping this in mind
> Ascorbic acid is not a magic developer.
> There are those who recommend adding Ascorbic Acid to
> Rodinal but I've never tried this personally.
> Ascorbic acid has been known as a reducing agent
> (developer) for many decades but until the last decade or so
> its use was confined to experimental rather than practical
> developers.
> Its relative environmental friendliness has made it
> popular in recent times.