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Ewesly / Holographic Formulae / Kodak D-19

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Stock Solutions

Kodak's venerable formula D-19 has been modified to suit various applications. The original formula looks like this:

Kodak D-19

2 g Metol
90 g Sodium Sulfite
8 g Hydroquinone
52.5 g Sodium Carbonate (monohydrated)
5 g Potassium Bromide
One litre water

D-19a

The Morgan & Morgan Lifetime Photo Lab Index lists a D-19a, which is a special developer for increasing emulsion speed. To one litre of D-19, add the following just before use:
20 ml Kodak Anti©Fog No. 2, (0.2% solution)
1.6 g Hydrazine Dihydrochloride
30 ml Water
This may be useful for some applications, but the fog level increases rapidly.

D-19b

2.2 g Metol
72 g Sodium Sulfite
8.8 g Hydroquinone
58 g Sodium Carbonate
4 g Potassium Bromide
One litre Water

What this variation does and why it exists I don't know.

Source: 150 Do-It-Yourself Black and White Popular Photographic Formulas, edited by Patrick Dignan, Dignan Photographic Inc., North Hollywood, CA 91606, 1977.

D-19R

This is the replenisher for Kodak D-19, again out of the Photo Lab Index. If great amounts of film are put through a processing machine this replenisher freshens up the used developer in the machine.
4.5 g Metol
90 g Sodium Sulfite
17.5 g Hydroquinone
52.5 g Sodium Carbonate
7.5 g Sodium Hydroxide
One litre water

Add to the developer tank 30 ml of D-19R for every 500 square centimeters of film gone through the developer, keeping the volume of developer in the tank constant.

D-19 Plus

D-19+ is the name I have given to D-19 doped up with 1.5 grams of phenidone per liter. This concoction was formulated by Hans Bjelkhagen and used to process hundreds of thousands of bubble chamber holograms at Fermilab taken on Agfa 10E75 film with a pulsed Ruby laser.

D-19 Minus

D-19 Minus, or "Amended D-19" as it has also been called, is the basic formula lacking the great amount of sulfite which has been the sore spot of the formulation for the holo-chemists. It boosts sensitivity of the holographic materials about one stop.
30 g Sodium Sulfite
2 g Metol (Elon)
8 g Hydroquinone
60 g Sodium Carbonate
One litre of water
Cuts down exposure by about a half as compared to regular D-19.

Source: Nicholas J. Phillips, "The Making of Successful Holograms", Proceedings of the First International Symposium on Display Holography, 1982, p.27.

Developing time

One to eight minutes for all materials. Check instructions sheets if available, otherwise start with two minutes

Temperature:  20C +- 1C                        Agitation:  Constant

Shelf life

6 months in a stoppered bottle, one day in an uncovered tray.