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Bleach vs Blix


Wayne

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I have read of color film development processes in which the bleaching and fixing steps are separate. In past, as I have always used C-41 kits, I am only familiar with one step involving "Blix." In visiting the sites for a couple of suppliers of photo chemistry I am unable to find reference to bleach or fixer fixer (as individual components) for sale......Everything is Blix, and is sold only as part of a kit.

 

I do note that Blix always includes part A and part B which must be mixed by the user, at home or in lab. Are part A and part B simply bleach (part A) and fixer (part B )?

 

I ask because, elsewhere on the web, I read of various alternatives for color processing and find that many of these refer to the bleaching process as a stand-alone process/formulation. Is it still possible to purchase the bleach chemistry?

Edited by Wayne
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The original Kodak process came with separate bleach and fix. Guess that most professional chemistry do too.
Most small kits for end-users mostly have Blix.

I use the Fuji Hunt 5L kit that have separated bleach and fix.
But I'm afraid that you can't use Blix part A and B as separated bath's. It has a different formula then the separated one.

Edited by fotomas
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The bleach actually "finishes" a small part of the developing stage, chemically completing the creation of the cyan dye (as well as converting the metallic silver negative into something the fix can dissolve and remove). Prevents leucocyan (colorless cyan) dye formation (which would produce abnormally reddish prints or scans).

 

Apparently, BLIX solutions do not do this as well as a pure bleach followed by a pure fixer step. https://www.photo.net/discuss/threads/correcting-leuco-cyan-dye-in-developed-c41-film.246608/

 

Now, if you don't see any color problems yourself using a kit with BLIX, that's just a theoretical problem. I'm pretty sure I used BLIX kits sometime in the distant past, and don't remember any particular color problems.

 

As to the stand-alone bleach materials, I get the Kodak Flexicolor C-41 bleach, ready-mixed to final dilution, in half-gallons. Through a local pro photo store - fortunately, since it is hard to get the chemicals shipped otherwise.

 

(Wayne, might try Roberts Camera in Indy or Jack's in Muncie to see if they can order it)

 

As an aside, in Kodak's processing instructions for color lines with gaseous-burst agitation (agitation via jacuzzi-like bubbling in a large tank, more or less), nitrogen is the recommended gas for all the other steps (to prevent oxidation of the chemicals), but regular air is recommended for the Bleach step. Because the bleach itself is an oxydizer (it "rusts away" the silver), and thus can use all the extra oxygen you can give it. Including for preventing the formation of the leuco cyan dye.

 

So I give my bleach step LOTS of foaming agitation, just to keep it happy and productive. Really shake the can up for that step. ;) That may be a good idea with blix combo kits as well.

Edited by adan
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