photoflo one drop my arse!

Yeah, I buy distilled as well. I also use a home counter-top distiller. I didn't notice any change in the electric bill when I started using it so assume it's not too expensive. It sure is handy.

allan
 
JLW wrote:
I'm not sure WHY it works -- I suspect that either the alcohol breaks down the minerals so they flow off more easily, or that it helps the water evaporate before the minerals can stick to the film.



Isopropyl alcohol, IPA, is another chemical means of reducing surface tension. Minerals are not particularly soluble in IPA.

The dilute IPA you use just reduces the surface tension even more, The water that doesn't run off because of the PhotoFlo, evaporates from larger droplets (the minerals and other residue constituents are more spread out and the white spots become unnoticeable).

At 1-3% the IPA will not affect negatives. It just flows off or evaporates.

It has been mentioned that IPA is a fire hazard. This is a valid concern until it is dissolved (1-3%) in water. Breathing IPA is not recommended and oral consumption can cause blindness. But I digress.

Some IPA contains lanolin or other hand lotion components to combat dry skin. If you use IPA read the label and try to find a bottle without these additives.

Considering all the costs associated with creating a negative, I doubt PhotoFlo's cost is significant. Products meant for dishes should be used on dishes.

willie (an ex-chemist who actually studied surfactants)
 
willie_901 said:
At 1-3% the IPA will not affect negatives. It just flows off or evaporates.
Click to expand...

I found this on Kodak's website. I realize that all of us prefer rumor, speculation, and old wive's tales to actual data, but just for fun, I present it here.

From Kodak (but what do they know):

http://www.kodak.com/global/en/consumer/products/techInfo/cis145/cis145.shtml

Solvents
You can use some solvents to remove grease, oil, and dirt from photographic products. Kodak has reviewed the performance of a number of photographic cleaning solvents. Although we have not tested all the cleaning solvents on the market, we have found that isopropyl alcohol is an effective cleaning solvent for photographic materials.

Isopropyl Alcohol
We recommend isopropyl alcohol that has a purity of 98 percent or higher as a good, general-purpose cleaning solvent for photographic materials. Isopropyl alcohol (also known as 2-propanol or isopropanol) has several benefits. It is available in small volumes at a reasonable price; it has been successful in cleaning tar, streaks, processing scum, and opaque from photographic products; and it had no detrimental effect on the image stability of the emulsions we tested.

Use only isopropyl alcohol that has a purity of 98 percent or higher. Alcohol with a lower purity, such as rubbing alcohol, will cause streaking and take longer to dry. Also, the higher water content of rubbing alcohol may cause the emulsion of the photographic materials to swell, resulting in physical damage and possible deterioration of image-forming dyes.

To use isopropyl alcohol:

* Make sure your work area is well ventilated, with sufficient positive air flow.
* Use only a soft, lint-free cleaning applicator (e.g., a cotton swab, cloth, or glove).
* Slightly moisten the cleaning applicator and re-moisten it as needed. Do not saturate the applicator with alcohol. Too much alcohol can produce streaks and result in a longer drying time. (If streaks form, you can usually remove them by wiping the area with a fresh, dry cloth.)
* Clean a small area at a time.
* Repeat the application if necessary to remove foreign matter such as china marker, crayon, or other wax-based markers.

Note: Tests have shown that isopropyl alcohol may be inefficient at cleaning the mounting oils used with film in some electronic scanning systems.

Isopropyl alcohol is available through most chemical supply houses. Purchase it in small containers. When you clean materials, pour out only enough for current use, and then discard any alcohol that remains after cleaning. Keep the original container sealed to prevent the alcohol from taking on water content from the air.

Note: Residues of non-image-forming dyes (usually magenta dye) may be present on the surfaces of some processed color negative films.Using isopropyl alcohol on these negatives may cause coloration of the cleaning swab or cloth. If cleaning these negatives causes an uneven distribution of these residual dyes (e.g., swirls or streaks), you may need to repeat the cleaning procedure.
Click to expand...

Please note that when you pull the film from the final rinse, the emulsion is already sopping wet, and thus the admonition "Also, the higher water content of rubbing alcohol may cause the emulsion of the photographic materials to swell, resulting in physical damage and possible deterioration of image-forming dyes" seems worthwhile to pay attention to.

Nothing against your background as a chemist. I am clearly not one. Just doing my due diligence.

Again, if people want to clean their negs or enhance drying with alcohol, Jet-Dry, gasoline or deuterium, I don't care. I realize that people get this protective coating that forms around how they do it - and they can't be convinced that there could be anything wrong with them. Somewhere, I'll find a guy who swears he cleans his negs with spit and a dirty paper towel and has never had any streaks. WHATEVER. If you want to do it, do it. I suggest that Photo-Flo or similar products DESIGNED FOR THE PURPOSE might be useful (if you can get it) for the purpose for which it was intended.

And now back to the regularly-scheduled fairy tales. People who clean their negs with moonbeams and store them under a copper pyramid aligned with true north.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks
 
bill, that is for dry film.... in which the gelatin needs not be swelled

BUT for quick drying rubbing alcohol should be good enough, all we need is a method to evaporate water quickly without leaving marks.

Sometimes common sense (the least common of the senses) should prevail, so do not smoke while you do this :bang: :bang:
 
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