Radiographic chemicals are not overwhelmingly complex. They are of the same basic family as regular photographic chemicals, like those used in the home darkroom, or corner one-hour photo lab. Most X-Ray film manufacturers, as well as several other photographic industry manufacturers, produce radiographic chemicals or at least offer chemicals under their brand name.
When properly mixed and offered at full strength these products are, as might be expected, remarkably similar. There is no unique skill required to properly mix the product, as is evidenced by the fact that most manufacturers offer it to the end user in put ups designed to be mixed on site. As with all products, the key differences are in the quality of the product. This is a direct derivative of the quality control reflected in the manufacturing process. All radiographic chemicals are subject to degradation resulting from over dilution and improper mixing.
The two main chemicals used in radiographic processing are Developer and Fixer. Developer, as the name indicates, facilitates the development of the silver halide image. Fixer "fixes" or stops the development process when the desired densities have been achieved on film. The chemicals are stored and used separately. Mixing them will cause severe contamination that will ruin any films being processed. This is accompanied by a very strong ammonia like smell. A complete cleaning of the processor is the only cure for contamination.
While radiographic chemicals in working solution are not particularly dangerous to the user, they do contain components that may cause allergic reactions. Each manufacturer is compelled to supply a "Material Safety Data Sheet" listing any and all potential hazards. It is recommended that each user maintain a copy in close proximity to each film processor.
Comp-Ray Inc. uses the chemical products manufactured by HR Simon for most general radiographic applications. We have many years of experience with these products and find them to be of truly superior quality. The technical support provided by the HR Simon's staff is first rate. However, in certain applications, the film manufacturer will recommend a specific chemistry brand be used. Therefore we offer several other brands of quality products as well. However, as chemistry is basically a commodity item, a films failure to perform adequately in a major brand may indicate a potential film related processing problem.
As each sheet of film is processed, the film processor draws on the replenishment tanks to replenish or replace the chemical that was used in the process. The amount of replenishment required is determined by the specifications offered by both the film and processor manufacturers. A typical "replenishment rate" might be 75cc of developer and 100cc of fixer for each 14x17 film processed. The user should check his replenishment rates several times a year, as over replenishment can be very expensive. If a service representative is providing routine cleaning and preventative maintenance (which is highly recommended) he should be asked to check replenishment periodically and note it on his service reports.
It is critical that all chemicals be used at their full recommended working strength.
Over diluted or under replenished chemicals may result in film quality and/or archival problems.
Note: If spilled, all radiographic chemicals will stain and or corrode most materials with which they come into contact.
It is recommended that both replenishment tanks and the processor itself be protected by a spill tray cable of holding 110% of the contents of the largest tank being protected.
For more information visited HR Simon's MSDS Library.
Tips for getting the most value for your dollar when purchasing radiographic chemicals:
1. Buy only brand name chemicals.
Some products are available that are "manufactured" at the distributors location, out of available components. These products are not subjected to rigid quality control and may represent a risk that vastly exceeds any savings.
2. Use only completely fresh chemicals and replenishment. There are some product offerings that contain "recycled fixer" and some devices that purport to safely recycle both fixer and developer while in use. Comp-Ray, Inc. has found both of these concepts to be highly overrated in terms of cost savings, and highly likely to cause expensive down time and film quality issues. We find neither solution is worth the inherent risk of chemical contamination.
3. Buy your chemistry in bulk as opposed to "Mixer" or concentrate formulations. Unless you are located in a remote area where delivery can be a problem, Bulk chemistry should always less expensive than concentrate by at least 10 to 15%.
4. Have your processor professionally cleaned and maintained. This cost will be more than offset by a reduction in expensive processor repairs and down time.
5.Never pay extra for developer starter or systems cleaner. If you have your processor professionally maintained these products should be included in the cost of the base cleaning or preventative maintenance fee. Paying extra for these basic sundries would be like taking your car to the car wash and upon exiting, being asked to pay extra for the liquid wax and soap. These items have a dealer cost of less than $3.00 but it is not unusual to see the price of a PM marked up by $10 to $15 dollars to cover their use. At Comp-Ray Inc., all sundry chemicals are included in the base PM charge.
6. Protect your facility from damage resulting from spilled chemicals. Place spill trays under your processors and replenishment tanks. Place a spill kit containing specially designed tools for containing spills by each processor. The relatively minor cost of these protective items will be more than recouped at the first spill or major processor leak.
