Selenium formulas, was Re: selenium risk

carrillo@buzon.main.conacyt.mx
Mon, 30 Oct 1995 16:34:07 -0600

Judy Seigel wrote:
<snip>
>However Carson says NOBODY has mixed selenium toner from powder since
>forever. I mixed some not that long ago. Other formulas have several
>advantages, including the fact that you can omit the fixer that Kodak
>includes so that you can use it for re-halided prints without dissolving
>your image. Also, you can get a fine variety of tones, including an almost
>albumen-purple tone on the re-develop. The downside is all the scare
>stories about selenium, making you so nervous you practically drop your
>crucible. Also, the toner, once mixed, doesn't keep well. Goes off in a
>few weeks, if not sooner.
<snip>

Judy:

Correct me if I misunderstood you. You have some selenium toner formulas,
and at least one of them is of the bleach and redevelop kind. I have tried
to do just that several times in the past using Kodak's toner with no
results whatsoever. And now you have given the answer: the toner has hypo in
it. Could you please be so kind to post your formulas? If you have any
safety concern, you could send them directly to me (I studied chemistry for
years before becoming a photographer), but I think there is a lot of
interest in the list.

Some more questions, do you have pure selenium or some kind of
selenide/nite? If you have pure selenium do you mix it with some kind of
sulfite or sulfate? Where did you find it? My last catalog of Photographers'
Formulary does not include it (it is at least 3 years old).

I will be eternally in debt to you.

Francisco Garcia Maceda
carrillo@buzon.main.conacyt.mx