Moersch ATS Alkaline Rapid Fixer vs. TF-4?

patrickjames · Feb 10, 2009

I saw that Feestyle is selling the Moersch fixer and was wondering what the difference was between it and TF-4. Can anyone elaborate on the differences between these two fixers?

Patrick

Lowell Huff · Feb 11, 2009

Both are WAY TOOO EXPENSIVE.

patrickjames · Feb 16, 2009

Bump. Anyone?

dancqu · Feb 17, 2009

patrickjames said:
Bump. Anyone?

My guess, It is absent the large amount of
Borax acid buffering found in or at bottom
of a bottle of TF-4. Dan

eclarke · Feb 17, 2009

It looks like the Moersch is 20% more expensive...EC

David A. Goldfarb · Feb 17, 2009

Moersch claims about double the capacity (150-200 rolls/l stock solution vs 80 rolls/l stock solution for TF-4), though, so maybe Moersch is about 25% less expensive. Your mileage may vary, of course.

eclarke · Feb 17, 2009

David A. Goldfarb said:
Moersch claims about double the capacity (150-200 rolls/l stock solution vs 80 rolls/l stock solution for TF-4), though, so maybe Moersch is about 25% less expensive. Your mileage may vary, of course.

That could be. I do all my film one shot but reuse for paper. the only downside to TF4 is that I never seem to keep it shaken up enough and am a little afraid of my dilution consistency. I'll have to try the Moersch...Evan Clarke

dancqu · Feb 20, 2009

eclarke said:
The only downside to TF4 is that I never seem to keep
it shaken up enough and am a little afraid of my dilution
consistency. I'll have to try the Moersch...Evan Clarke

From what I've read that stuff at the bottom is borax
and is included for the purpose of buffering against
acid fixers. It is an alkaline fixer.

Borax is not very soluble so the fix as it comes needs
dilution. Is what I've read true? Dan

David A. Goldfarb · Feb 20, 2009

TF-4 is mixed 1+3, so the 1 quart bottle makes a gallon and the gallon bottle makes four gallons. I always mix the whole bottle of TF-4, and there is no precipitate once mixed. The mixed solution lasts at least a year, so I don't see any reason not to mix the whole bottle, unless one doesn't have space for it. I usually buy the large bottle and keep it in a 5-gallon tank with a floating lid and a spigot.

nworth · Feb 20, 2009

David A. Goldfarb said:
Moersch claims about double the capacity (150-200 rolls/l stock solution vs 80 rolls/l stock solution for TF-4), though, so maybe Moersch is about 25% less expensive. Your mileage may vary, of course.

I'd be suspicious about claims of very high capacity. It may clear the 150th roll of film, but you may have problems with the silver thiosulfate complexes left in the film afterward. From what I read in Mees, fixer capacity is a pretty tricky thing, especially if you want archival permanence.

dancqu · Feb 21, 2009

Correction

dancqu said:
From what I've read that stuff at the bottom is borax
and is included for the purpose of buffering against
acid fixers. It is an alkaline fixer.

That should read; ... buffering against acid stops. Dan

Sal Santamaura · Sep 11, 2019

Reviving this thread a decade later, being concerned about having Photographers Formulary as a sole commercial source for alkaline fixer concentrate, I did some research. The following exchange:

David A. Goldfarb said:
Moersch claims about double the capacity (150-200 rolls/l stock solution vs 80 rolls/l stock solution for TF-4), though, so maybe Moersch is about 25% less expensive. Your mileage may vary, of course.

nworth said:
I'd be suspicious about claims of very high capacity. It may clear the 150th roll of film, but you may have problems with the silver thiosulfate complexes left in the film afterward. From what I read in Mees, fixer capacity is a pretty tricky thing, especially if you want archival permanence.

appears to need revisiting. While Freestyle and Fotoimpex listings for the Moersch alkaline fixer both still show a capacity of 150-200 rolls per liter of concentrate, Moersch's own Web site now claims only 50-60 rolls:

https://www.moersch-photochemie.de/content/shop/fix_stop_waesserung/41

Moersch ATS Alkaline Rapid Fixer vs. TF-4?

patrickjames

Lowell Huff

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Moersch ATS Alkaline Rapid Fixer vs. TF-4?

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