Crystals in Developer Concentrate???

Last night I mixed up a new batch of E6 chemistry (Paterson photocolor kit).
In the 1st developer concentrate there were a few large crystals had formed
in the bottom (I'm talking big - 1/2" round there abouts). I tried shaking
the bottle but they wouldn't dissolve. I tried to crush them - only small
bits broke off, the rest wouldn't crush, and even the small bits wouldn't
dissolve. I tried heating the solution to about 50C but that still wouldn't
aid with dissolving them. I considered mixing all of what was left as
working solution, thinking the crystals would dissolve in the more diluted
solution, but in the end I just mixed up my normal working quantity as per
normal, the crystals stayed in the bottom of the bottle. I was concerned
that they might have been crystals of something important to the developing
process, so I snipped a little off a film leader, put it in the solution and
it turned black, so I knew there was some developing happening. I was still
hesitant, but processed as normal and the slides came out spot-on, so
whatever those crystals were, it doesn't seem to be anything important to
the process. Any clue as to what they would be? I opened the bottles nearly
4 months ago, last mixed working solution about 2 months ago, and there was
nothing in it then. My previous kit took over 6 months to use up, and I
didn't have any issues like this with it.

"Graham Fountain" <ask DeleteThis @and.find.out> wrote in message
news:uJC7e.1$oa7.133@nnrp1.ozemail.com.au...
 > Last night I mixed up a new batch of E6 chemistry (Paterson photocolor
kit).
 > In the 1st developer concentrate there were a few large crystals had
formed
 > in the bottom (I'm talking big - 1/2" round there abouts). I tried shaking
 > the bottle but they wouldn't dissolve. I tried to crush them - only small
 > bits broke off, the rest wouldn't crush, and even the small bits wouldn't
 > dissolve.

I've had this in E6 1st. dev. I think it's crystals of the preservative
chemical. (sodium sulphite ?) Bit surprised that they didn't dissolve at
50°C.

--
M Stewart
Milton Keynes, UK
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