What Is an Anti-Oxidation Spray?

[wgerrard]

I've seen some recommendations to use an anti-oxidation spray on liquid developers to prolong their lifetime. Does this work? Anyone doing it? What's a good brand name?

When I Google the phrase, i see products advertised as cleaners and lubricants.

[richkayser]

In the past I've used Dust-Off, which worked well. Lately, I've started using Private Preserve Wine Preserver, which I buy through Amazon. According to the label, the product is environmentally safe and forms a "completely safe, nontoxic gas blanket" consisting of a blend of argon, carbon dioxide and nitrogen.

It also works very well for its intended purpose...

[mooge]

I'm doing it, and it works!

I use this stuff from Lee valley ( they're Canadian, dunno if they exist where you live), I can't remember what it's called, maybe varnish preserver or something. Pressurized argon in a can, it wasn't cheap, like $15 for the can or something like that (!).

It's very obvious that it works with HC-110- oxidized HC-110 turns red.

cheers.

[Benjamin Marks]

It's a heavier-than-air inert gas that you can spray into a partially filled bottle of liquid to reduce oxidation. Lower-tech versions to achieve the same effect are: decanting into small bottles that can remain full until used, adding marbles or another inert material to the bottle to keep the fluid level high and the amount of air low, mixing small batches of chemicals so you only use what is immediately needed, and mixing from concentrates, which typically oxidize much more slowly than diluted solutions.

Ben Marks

[wgerrard]

Thanks. Dust-Off is easy enough to find, and I think I'll wander over to my local wine shop and see if they have any of the wine preserver.

[oftheherd]

Other options: Use accordian folding plastic containers to keep the air out. Simply compress them until the air is gone and cap them.

Take a deep breath, hold it for a bit, and blow into the container (your body having converted oxygen to carbon-dioxide), replacing the air in the bottle.

If used paper develper you don't have a large enough container for, wrap seran (or equivalent) around the top, to keep room air out of the tray. I've never done that, but it has been reported it will preserve the paper develope for 1-3 days.

[t.s.k.]

Bloxygen is the most widely used and known brand in the US AFAIK.
It's been used for years by woodworkers to prolong the shelf life of finishes and coatings.
It works very well but you may find it too expensive for photographic use.
I prefer to use marbles to displace the oxygen.

[tlitody]

tetenal make the stuff, It works to a point. But by excluding the air from your container you don't need it.
One person I heard says he uses empty wine boxes. You take the bag out (after you've drunk the wine of course) and flush out the bag so its clean. Then fill with your developer making sure to exclude all excess air. Then just use the tap to dispense developer. It doesn't let air in so developer stock satys fresh for longer.

[sevo]

Originally Posted by oftheherd

Take a deep breath, hold it for a bit, and blow into the container (your body having converted oxygen to carbon-dioxide), replacing the air in the bottle.

That is no good. You'll rather drop dead than convert more than one fifth of the oxygen to carbon dioxide - and adding carbon dioxide into the mix will additionally affect alkaline developers by using up their buffer.

Sevo

[Bruin]

Just use Dust-Off. It's cheap, easy to find, you get a lot compared to other sprays, the gas is inert and heavier than air. Unless you need something flavorless (for wine), I don't see any reason to buy a special anti-oxidation spray.

Some plastics are gas permeable, so it's best to store your developer in colored glass bottles. I bought some San Pellegrino water just to use the glass bottles. Fill it up, displace any remaining airspace with Dust-Off, cap it quickly and store in a cool, dark place.

http://silvergrain.org/Photo-Tech/plastic.html