Washing Photographic Films and Prints in Sea Water

The use of sea water for washing photographic materials is practical only when a final wash of about 5 minutes in fresh water is used. This final wash removes the residual salts from the material and thus prevents (1) rapid fading of the image caused by these salts in the presence of hypo, and (2) absorption of moisture by the hygroscopic sea salts. — The removal of hypo is greatly accelerated during washing in sea water as compared with fresh water. As a result, it is recommended that films and prints be washed in sea water for about one-half of the usually recommended times and finally for about 5 minutes in fresh water. — An increase of 20° to 40°F in the temperature of sea water increases the rate of washing by 25 to 50 per cent but washing at as low a temperature as 50°F removes the hypo more rapidly than at 70° F in fresh water. — The total time involved in washing in sea water followed by fresh water is somewhat less than that required in fresh water alone.

Print ISSN

0097-5834

Published

1943-06

Content type

Original Research

DOI

10.5594/J09849