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Stopbaths
All commercially available stopbaths are based on acetic acid or citric acid, some with an indicator added, to show the point at which the pH becomes too high for the bath to do its job. Indicating agents are expensive, adding to the cost of the product, and if you are producing a lot of work it may be worth getting in plain acetic acid in bulk, and a pack of pH papers. A few people suffer respiratory problems due to darkroom work, traceable to the stopbath. If this is the case, another weak organic acid which will work equally well, and has no vapour problem is citric acid. Tetenal supply several packings of odourless stop-bath.
Acetic acid is the vinegar odoured component of traditional stopbaths, although is starting to be replaced by the more benign citric acid. It is also used in various formulae, which often call for 'glacial' - take no notice, glacial is the strongest form, but freezes at a relatively high temperature so a more dilute form is normal. Just use proportionately more of it. Dilution for stopbatha is normally to about 3%
Available as 500 ml and 5 litre packs, and is now an odourless citric acid formulation without an indicator. Dilution of 1+19 for use.
INFO: Ilford Chemical Sundries PDF
Kodak Max-Stop 1 litre is now discontinued, replaced by this product. Highly concentrated at 85%, take extra care when handling the concentrate - for normal use dil. is 1+60
This is excellent value if you need an indicator stopbath. A 1 litre pack of approximately 70% acetic acid, incorporating indicator, used at 1+39.
The most economical way of mixing a stopbath, but as the solution contains no indicator care should be taken to ensure that the bath does not become exhausted. Dilution is normally to about 3%.
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A prepared package of odourless stop, available in 250ml and 5 litres.
Thi is an odourless citric acid stop bath with indicator dye to warn of exhaustion. Makes for a more pleasant darkroom environment due to its odourless formula. SB50 dilutes 1+19 with water. Stop Bath arrests development immediately on contact to ensure clear highlights in paper and low fog on film. The use of stop bath also ensures that the fixer is protected from alkali carry-over from the developer thus protecting fixer life and performance.
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This mild acid is completely odourless in solution and can be used as a substitute for proprietary acetic acid stopbaths if the odour is irritating. Use at a rate of approximately 20g per litre of water.
COSHH: Citric Acid (580KB - 3 pages PDF)
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