# Reusing developer shelf life.



## Grandpa Ron (Apr 7, 2019)

I am experimenting with a 4x5 view camera and have bought a tank to develop the negatives. I am mixing up a gallon of D76 developer. It will be in two half gallon containers.

The developer data sheet shows 1 gallon will do 16 sheets of 8x10 cut film. I am doing 4x5 negatives  so I would get about 64 negatives give or take a few.

However I only will be processing 6 to 9 negatives at a time and my tank uses about 55 oz. So I intend to return the used developer to the half gallon bottle between my batches of negatives. Since film comes in 50 pc. boxes, the plan is to run 25 sheets per half gallon.  

The question is does anyone know the expected developer shelf life, once I start reusing the developer, assuming I can squeeze the air out of the half gallon bottles.


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## compur (Apr 8, 2019)

Storage life data is in the D76 data sheet:
https://imaging.kodakalaris.com/sites/uat/files/wysiwyg/pro/chemistry/j78.pdf


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## IanG (Apr 14, 2019)

I used ID-11 (D76) for many years replenished in deep tanks, later I switched to Adox Borax MQ again replenished but stored in 2.5 litre bottles, I mix my own developers so don't have availability issues, Ilfoord and Kodak  no longer sell replenisher for ID-11/D76.

After Kodak released Xtol I began using it for much of my work, it's great for LF because you replenish it with fresh stock solution.  I would mix then split a 5 litre pack into 2.5 litre bottles, one was the working solution the other the replenisher I used it that way for around 20 years mostly with sheet film, it's very economic, reliable, and replenished developers actually give superior results to plain stock developer once seasoned.

Ian


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## maris (Apr 17, 2019)

My experience parallels that of IanG. I mixed my Xtol in 2007 and replenished it at the rate of 90ml per film ever since. It's still working perfectly whether I do one film or many films per developing session. And the cost is nothing to complain about: only 30 cents per film at today's prices.


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