Old Atomal developer...can it still be used?

[EcoLeica]

I have just be gifted a bag of unopened Atomal FF in powered form....its fairly old and i was wondering if i make it up will it still be good to use?

 

[bmattock]

I don't know, and I suspect most others won't either. If it has been kept from exposure to atmosphere, it may not have degraded and would therefore be usable. If it has been exposed to atmosphere, it may have degraded. The only real way to know if it is still good or not is to try it. Some here have reported using decades-old surplus military developers in cans with success, while others have had trouble with foil pouches that failed to protect their contents even a few years. I'd suggest mixing it up and trying it with a test roll that you don't care much about.