The Darkroom Cookbook Forum

I want to try Mytol, but in my country one needs a special permit to be able to purchase methanol. I don't have such a permit and as it turns out it's not that easy to get such a permit and rather expansive on top of that.

What could I use instead to dissolve Phenidone? From what I read online there are a lot of other approaches; most involve some kind of alcohol. However, as a layman I can't evaluate the different alternatives and am at a loss to be honest.

(It's not my intent to conserve the Phenidone, I really just want to dissolve it properly and then use it for Mytol.)

fyrkrans wrote: ↑Tue Jan 02, 2018 2:02 pm What could I use instead to dissolve Phenidone?

Phenidone does not dissolve readily in water, but is relatively easy to dissolve in distilled water at a temperature of about 175F/80C.

It is readily soluble in solutions of alkali bisulfites and carbonates. This allows it to be readily incorporated into a developing solution. For Mytol, instead of dissolving it in methyl hydrate, as Paul Lewis recommends, try dissolving it in a 3% solution of sodium metabisulfite.

Make a stock 3% solution by mixing 30 g of sodium metabisulfite in 1 L of water. Heat 100 ml of the solution to about 125F/52C, mix in the 0.15 mg of Phenidone. Add the 100 ml of Phenidone + 3% metabisulfite solution to the total amount of water to make 1 L.

This may, or may not, work better than methyl hydrate as I have never tried that method. But it should definitely work better than distilled water.

Phenidone is only slightly soluble in plain water. Good thing we don't use a lot in most developers. It dissolves much more readily in alkaline solutions. It is also soluble in 91% Isopropyl alcohol (drug store item in my country, rubbing alcohol (drugstore item and usually 70% methanol), glycols, glycerin, and TEA, (there are a couple of compounds with the TEA nickname I mean Triethanolamine). I'm not sure where you are from but there are also alcohol based gas tank additives which are 100% methanol or isopropanol. 100% Isopropanol is also sold in electronic wholesale house, used as a parts cleaner.

I work quite regularly with Phenidone & I've found that the fastest way is to dissolve it in drug store alcohol, the 90% type. it dissolve quite quickly with minimum fuss

Would Pure Grain Alcohol from the liquor store not work? -Terry

Denatured Alcohol (mostly ethanol) from the hardware store has worked fine for me. I would expect alc. from the liquor store would work as well, but be more expensive.

All you need to do is make a 10% phenidone solution. Here is a link on YouTube by Pictorial Planet (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBYJyZ6F-HY). Start watching about 7' 50". It involves "Propylene Glycol". It is a lot easier to mix this way. Good mixing.

Excellent suggestion and video, Colorado4x4. Thank you.