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-   -   Blix or Bleach Fix (http://www.film-and-darkroom-user.org.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=13091)

Nat Polton 23rd March 2020 10:35 AM

Blix or Bleach Fix
 
I haven't done any colour developing since 1992.
If we all have to go on lockdown I figure it will be a good opportunity to relearn old colour skills in the darkroom.
So I am going to get some colour film, paper and chemicals, turn the television off and set to.

After reading a few articles and watching YouTube, I have one simple question.

Are there any benefits in using a two bath bleach and fix, or is it as good as a one bath blix?

Obviously time saving, but God willing time might be in abundance.
So are there archival or safety benefits? Anything not usually dwelt upon.

Cheers all.:)

EdmundH 23rd March 2020 11:06 AM

There is rarely any choice in this. Most C41 and RA-4 kits only come with combined bleach/fix, so I think we can assume that it works just fine.

Having said that, the C41 kit I would recommend has separate bleach and fix:

https://ntphotoworks.com/product/bellini-c41-kit-1lt/

I've used several of these Bellini kits with great results. The mixed chemicals keep for weeks without any special precautions, and colours are always bright and clear.

For paper, the small Tetenal RA-4 kits work well, although Kodak Ektacolor chemicals work out much cheaper in the long run

DaveInElland 23rd March 2020 11:22 AM

I took my first steps with processing colour films very recently and so far have developed seven rolls using the Bellini kit and have been very pleased with the results. Dev, bleach and fix followed by a stabiliser.

Between films I’ve been keeping the chemicals in vacuum sealed glass jars in the cellar, cool and dark down there!

JOReynolds 28th March 2020 03:11 PM

Separate bleach and fix
 
One of the advantages of a separate bleach and fix for film is that the solutions need no special storage (unlike developer and bleachfix). RA-4 was designed as a combined bleach+fix from the start. Once mixed the bleachfix has an affinity for oxygen and begins to degrade.

John King 28th March 2020 03:40 PM

Bleach fix
 
The bleach fix sold with the Tetenal kits work very well, they have a low odour and are stable. The replenishment rate is 10cc per every 10x8 sheet or 100cc for every 800sq inches of paper used. The same for the stop bath and the developer.

Mike O'Pray 28th March 2020 04:32 PM

I have seen and read about 1 million posts on this on Photrio :D The consensus seems to be, backed up by a ex Kodak engineer, that blix is fine and normal for RA4 but separate bleach and fix is better for C41.

In this context the word "better" refers to the life of the two chemicals when used separately

The ex-Kodak engineer was prepared to admit that blix for C41 will work just as well but just not for so long so in effect you may have to put up with waste in the form of dumping it when some of the blix constituents are still OK

Mike


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