An Investigation of Agitation in a Continuous Immersion Film Process

A successful agitation system in deep-tank film processes must cause the solution to move uniformly at a desired energy level and must adequately and uniformly supply fresh solution to the emulsion surface. A theoretical and practical investigation of a film strand moving through a processing solution has shown that the boundary layer between film and solution is laminar for all practical processing speeds. Laboratory tests have indicated that density nonuniformity caused by poor or insufficient agitation can be improved by the proper use of submerged nozzles. This work was made possible by a technique developed in the Kodak Research Laboratories, in which the by-products of development can be observed as they are formed. Hydroquinone sulfonate, a principal by-product of development, fluoresces when excited by ultraviolet light, producing a fluorescent layer of material on the emulsion surface, which visually shows the effect of any disturbance caused by the agitation mechanism.

Print ISSN

0361-4573

Published

1966-10

Content type

Original Research

DOI

10.5594/J07079