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  #11  
Old 8th June 2016, 02:46 PM
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Ceraunius Ceraunius is offline
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Hello friends,
Nice topic. I also have some questions regarding XTOL and its storage and longevity.

I store it in these bottles but if I place them in vertical they gain these kind of crystals around the bottle (I let about 2 cm of air in the top). If I put them in an horizontal displacement, they leak.

My questions are:
- Is this a problem of the bottle? I already ordered some wine bags just to store XTOL;
- More importantly, is the solution still good?

Thanks in advance.



EDIT: there were way more crystals than those shown in the picture. While moving the bottle, most felt.
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  #12  
Old 8th June 2016, 03:51 PM
marty marty is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ceraunius View Post
Hello friends,
Nice topic. I also have some questions regarding XTOL and its storage and longevity.

I store it in these bottles but if I place them in vertical they gain these kind of crystals around the bottle (I let about 2 cm of air in the top). If I put them in an horizontal displacement, they leak.

My questions are:
- Is this a problem of the bottle? I already ordered some wine bags just to store XTOL;
- More importantly, is the solution still good?

Thanks in advance.
If I put them in an horizontal displacement, they leak.


EDIT: there were way more crystals than those shown in the picture. While moving the bottle, most felt.
Hi, there.
The bottle looks like AP brand of which I have a couple. I have to say they worked well for me. I had, and still have a few, of lower quality brown in color. and these for sure gave me a lot of trouble. Leaks form the cap and in some of them (promptly discarded) even at the creases which lead to the problem you're describing. The white crystals are left from the evaporation of the escaped liquid. Even spilled liquid during filling or emptying the bottle leads to that if not cleaned up right away. If it is not dark yellow or worst brown the remaining developer should be still good, in my experience. Another thing, I would squeeze out as much air as I can to ensure longer life to the developer. Having said all that I'm under the impression that plastics have some micro-porosity which let the air in sooner or later, I found over a month or more some of the bottles losing compression...

Cheers, M.
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  #13  
Old 8th June 2016, 03:57 PM
Mike O'Pray Mike O'Pray is offline
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Could this be Xtol liquid that spilled out when pouring it in or when forcing the liquid to the top when activating the concertina? The liquid inside which hasn't been subject to air may be fine. My experience with Xtol is that even a very light straw colour in the developer means that it has lost strength. As you have only one chance of developing I'd dump it if it is anything but clear

The definite problem with a concertina bottle is that even after maximum squeezing a lot of liquid remains in the bottle and you then have to use a gas such as Protectan to prevent air remaining

The possible problem but one I am not qualified to speak about as I don't use concertina bottles for developer is that allegedly the material of such bottles is air permeable which defeats the object of making concertina bottles

Longer term I can think of two ways to go:

1. Use winebags which you are going to
2. Decant the 5L of Xtol into glass or PET bottles of 250 or 300ml( depending on your tank capacity) and fill to the neck of each bottle to the point of overflowing then cap so no air is present.

Mike

Last edited by Mike O'Pray; 8th June 2016 at 04:00 PM.
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  #14  
Old 8th June 2016, 06:51 PM
MikeHeller MikeHeller is offline
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[QUOTE=MikeHeller;108441 ........ Must try it on the remaining 500 ml and may find it still useable - I am stingey and hate throwing chemicals out while they are useable. Thanks for the tip, Mike.
Mike[/QUOTE]

I did test the bottle I found and it developed the leader and have successfully used it to develop a film - whew!!

In response to the leakage and bottle type, I use old 500ml Patterson developer bottles as they have a plastic bit in the neck so that they pour without dribbling and form a good seal unlike the 1l and some smaller bottles I have. The 2½l bottles are reagent bottles with their safepak container that I 'liberated' from work many moons ago. They also have the plastic ring and pour properly . Then I add a good squirt of Tetenal Protectan unless the bottle is full and they are stored upright.
Any developer dribbles etc crystalise out as shown in the pictures of those leaking concertina bottles.
Mike
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  #15  
Old 8th June 2016, 09:44 PM
alexmuir alexmuir is online now
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I use the black AP concertinas, and they work well. I have found, however, that the lid seal improves with use. It seems to bed-in after a few tight closings.
Alex


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