1. INDEX
1. Introduction
2. Turnbull blue, Prussian blue and the Cyanoptype
3. The Ammonium Iron Citrate
4. The Formulae
5. The Variables
6. Recipes from the Members
7. Conclusions
8. Bibliography
1. Introduction
This article was born from the wish to put order in some of my notes on cyanotype, but it demonstrated that a so simple and old process (note 1) may be the object of consideration way far from the simple application of a phogographic recipe, becoming an example of a methodological approach with which analyze also other more complicated processes.
Some time ago, preparing the article on the cyanotype reportet in our "recipes" pages, I looked in the Web and in some othe publications the confirmation of my knowledge and eventual new tricks, suggestion and other.
It soon emerged that, in addition to the suggestions on how-to prepare the paper, the coating and the washing, many recipes were found for the sensitizing solution. Sure, this is not a new, (see for an example the kallitype and related processes), but I have never seen a so large number for a single process, and moreover I have never found comparisons justifying these differences, with the exception of one case.
Limiting myself to the most simple formula (the same reported in "recipes"), I have found as many as 25 variants, while considering also the presence of oxalic acid or other components this number almost doubles. Some variants are probably due to rough approximations converting from British to Metric units, nevertheless their number remains inexplicably high.
Who wish to go deep into this argument may read the Mike Ware's book "Cyanotypes" (Ware 1999), or -about the historical and aesthetical aspects- the thesis of Malin Hylen for a Graphic Art School published in the Web (Hylen 2000), while I report here only my personal notes, extracted from different sources.
2. Turnbull blue, Prussian blue and the Cyanoptype
The sensitizing solution for the cyanotype is as simple as disarming: it is sufficient to mix with water some ammonium iron citrate and potassuium ferricyanide. That's all. By means of the UV light, some of the trivalent iron turns to divalent, forming the ferrous ferricyanide Fe3[Fe(CN)6]2 (Turnbull blue), insoluble and highly coloured. The Turnbull blue is similar to the Prussian blue (ferric ferrocyanide, Fe4[Fe(CN)6]3), one among the first blue pigment sintetized at the begining of the XVIII century (note 2).
It has been ipothesized that the two blue, the Turnbull and Prussian ones, are the same substance (Kleinke 2001): at the moment of the reaction, the divalent and trivalent iron atoms may exchange to give a unique product, where the
K+ + Fe3+ + [FeII(CN)6]4- --> KFeIII[FeII(CN)6] intermediate for the Prussian blue
K+ + Fe2+ + [FeIII(CN)6]3- --> KFeII[FeIII(CN)6] intermediate for the Turnbull blue
The reaction leading to the cyanotype is possible because of the presence of citrate, which counterbalances the reduction from Fe (III) to Fe (II) oxidizing itself to CO2, that of ammonium ion, which stabilizes the iron complex (Abrahamson 1999), and the insolubility of the Turnbull blue removing the divalent iron. Furthermore, it has been found that the photochemical reaction has its maximum yield in a pH range between 2 and 5. It must pointed out that these measurements were done in solution, while in the cyanotype the mixture on the paper is almost dry.
To complicate all this things, also the reduction of ferricyanide to ferrocyanide, which can form the ferric ferrocyanide (Prussian Blue) combining with the excess of iron(III) citrate. If the ferrous ferricyanide which is part of the yet formed image is reduced, it will turn into the whitish ferrous ferrocyanide. This preferentially happens in the most exposed zones, and this reaction is responsible of the partially solarized aspect which usually indicates when to stop the exposition. The ferrous ferrocyanide will be oxidized again to ferric ferrocyanide with time and with the air exposition of the print, or it can be almost istantaneously oxidized adding some hydrogen peroxide to the last washing. Also the hydrochloric acid behaves in the same way, but this time it is because the oxidative reaction needs some acidity for speedly going on .
3. The Ammonium Iron Citrate
The iron compound now used, the ammonium iron citrate green, is known "only" since 1898 (Seigel 2000a): before that year the brown form was used, and it was about 8 times less sensible than the green one. It is commonly referred to as a "ill-defined" compound, even if Clerc (Clerc 1950) gives the chemical formula for both the two forms: the green one corresponds to two molecules of ferric citrate plus one of ammonium citrate (m.w. 733.14), while the brown one is less easily interpretable and its molecular weight would be 615.04.
The iron citrate manufacturer declare an iron amount of 14.5-16% in the green form (the theoretical value is 15.2%), and 16.5-18.5% in the brown one (the theoretical value, assuming the Clerc's formula were true, is 18.16%).
On the basis of these information, the stoichiometric balance of the reaction between the green citrate and the potassium ferricyanide (in presence of the light) forming the Turnbull blue (Fe3[Fe(CN)6]2) needs a ratio of 1:0.6 by weight for the green form and 1:0.72 for the brown one (as an example, 10g of green citrate and 6g of ferricyanide). Taking into account also the reduction of the ferricyanide, the ratio rises only a few (1:0.64 for the green form). Instead, if one points to the formation of KFe[Fe(CN)6] (see the previous paragraph), then the ratio becomes about 1:0.9.
Some consideration of chemical nature would suggest to increase the amount of ferricyanide compared with the stoichiometric ratio, in order to favour the reaction. Instead, as it will be seen below, in the practice of the cyanotype the ratio between the green citrate and the ferricyanide is usually held slightly lower, about 1:0.5.
Finally a practical remark: the solution of ammonium iron citrate tends, still after a few days, to form a mould in its surface. To preserve it you can add some antifermentative (i.e. thymol, salycilic acid) or, as suggested by Clerc, to let a little bit of camphora floating over its surface.
4. The Formulae
Limiting the formulae to those with the green form, and calculating all the amounts for 100 ml solutions, the "historical" texts give these recipes:
|
|
|
|
Fe. am. citr. | Pot. ferric. | Source |
12.00 | 3.50 | Namias 1908 |
6.25 | 2.25 | Wall 1924 |
9.00 | 4.00 | Clerc 1930 |
12.50 | 6.00 | Glafkides 1958 |
10.00 | 4.00 | Coming into Focus (John Barnier), |
5.00 | 2.50 | photography.about.com/library/weekly/aa061801e.htm |
6.00 | 3.00 | www.astro.wisc.edu/~mukluk/blprint.html |
8.33 | 1.33 | personal.riverusers.com/~jdf/todd_walker/blueprint.html |
10.00 | 5.00 | www.ndirect.co.uk/~c.j.ball/formulae1.html |
10.00 | 6.80 | www.digitaltruth.com/data.html, |
10.00 | 7.00 | www.stanford.edu/~cpatton/yingui/cyano.htm |
10.42 | 7.29 | btc.montana.edu/nten/trc/lesson7/lesson7_text.shtml |
10.60 | 7.40 | cator.hsc.edu/~mollusk/ChemArt/photo/cyanotype.html |
11.00 | 5.30 | upnatom.com/cyanotype.html |
11.00 | 7.70 | Breaking the Rules (Bea Nettles) |
12.50 | 4.50 | www.stanford.edu/~cpatton/yingui/cyano.htm, |
12.50 | 5.00 | Cyanotypes.com |
12.50 | 7.50 | altphoto.hihome.com/iron.htm |
12.50 | 12.50 | Creative Sunprinting (Peter Fredrick), |
13.00 | 4.60 | cyanotypes.com, www.nmpft.org.uk/insight/info/5.3.76.pdf, |
13.36 | 6.68 | members.nbci.com/jormarge/.epb/cyano_page.htm, |
15.24 | 9.76 | www.dmuenzberg.de/cykassl.htm |
18.00 | 10.00 | www.photogs.com/bwworld/cyanotypes.html |
26.96 | 8.96 | jerryo.com/formula/cyanotyp.htm |
33.33 | 7.00 | rotoni.com/Cianotipia/ |
5. The Variables
To put into practice the aboveseen formulae, it must be remembered that these are only one part of the whole process for the production of a cyanotype. The process, as it is known, consists in:
6. Recipes from the Members
A brief enquiry among the GRN members making cyanotypes confirmed different choices both for the base formula and the other variables.
The following table resumes those differences (concentrations refer to the weight/volume mix and to the separated solutions, if not differently indicated).
Author | Fe NH4 citrate | K ferricyanide | Paper | Washing | Notes |
Berger | 3 (see notes) | 1 (see notes) | Bockingford 535 g/m² | 5 drops hydrochloric acid /litre | dissolve the amounts in grams in 20 ml of water; the solution covers a sheet 20x30cm |
Bolognesi | 25 | 25 |
|
|
|
Bottani | 20 | 8 | Fabriano F5 | The most intense blue, almost black, has been obtained with unsized paper and without the lead acetate toning sometimes used for other papers | |
Gazzarri | 25 | 25 | Fabriano F4 satin | hydrochloric acid, | Hydrogen peroxide in the last washing |
Novo | 25 | 25 | Arches Aquarelle | hydrochloric acid, | Double coating on unsized paper |
Valentini | 20 | 8 | Fabriano F4, |
| Unsized paper |
7. Conclusions
The ideal formula does not exist. There are, instead, some combos sensible solution/paper/negative which give results better than other. This is probably the motive of so many formulae which have been found; however, the taste and personal aesthetic sense play a primary role in judging the winner.
Everyone is thus encouraged to continue his way if he is satisfied with his results, or to verify through some simple tests if there is a better combo.
In a future article I will present the results of some laboratory tests comparing, under controlled conditions, some combos among the many possible ones.
NOTE
1) The cyanotype has been the first photographic process on paper, as it was noticed by Sir John Herschel in 1842, but the blue colour of the images -the only one which could be obtained- made that process not competitive with the daguerreotype.
The first practical application of this process was in 1843 with the book of Anna Atkins "British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions", which someone defned "the first photographic book" (the date of "The Pencil of Nature" of Talbot is 1844). Anna Atkins, a botanics scientist, printed the shadow (nowadays we would say a photogram) of vegetal specimens conserved in an herbarium for scientific purposes, probably to complete the book without images "Manual of British Algae" of William Harvey. Anna Atkins' book was published again many times till 1853 and coupled with another book, obtained with the same technique, devoted to mosses and firns.
2) The Prussian Blue was named in this way as it has been used to dye the uniforms of the Prussian army. It is known also as Hamburg, Paris, Harlem, oriental, potash blue, etc.
The history of the Prussian blue has the taste of a metropolitan legend. "It is said" that a German dye producer named Diesbach discovered by chance in 1704 the way to prepare this pigment starting with ox blood, but thinking to make a red pigment like the starting material. Diesbach's shop-boy begun preparing this pigment in Paris, and the Dutch painter Simon Eikenlenberg wrote in 1722 some notes on how to prepare it. In 1724 the process went in England and its detailed preparation description was printed in 1764 ina manual for artists.
The preparation process begins heating to red heat equal parts of saltpetre (potassium nitrate) and cream of tartar (potassium tartrate) in a crucible. Dry ox blood is added to the mix, heating it up to incandescence. The mass is washed with water and treated with a solution of alum (potassium aluminium sulphate) and green vitriol (ferrous sulphate). A green precipitate is formed, which turns into blue adding muriatic acid (hydrochloric acid).
J. Copelandand e C. Rochelle (1998)
In http://www.sewanee.edu/chem/Chem%26Art/Detail%5FPages/Pigments/Prussian%5FBlue
3) Prusian blue and Turnbull blue are so coloured because of the configuration of their molecula.
Both dissolve in concentrated mineral acids, but are resistant to the diluted one up to 10%, to the polar and not polar solvents, to the oils and plastifiers.
The pigment is so finely subdivided in colloidal aggregates that it has the characteristics of a dye. The colour is permanent to the air for a long time, also if sometimes it may give a bronze shadow if it is exposed to weathering.
The pigment is sensible to alkaline substances, which turn it brown.
J. Copelandand e C. Rochelle (1998)
In http://www.sewanee.edu/chem/Chem%26Art/Detail%5FPages/Pigments/Prussian%5FBlue
4) "Rincer les cristaux de ferricyanure pour les débarasser de leur crôute ocreuse".
Clerc, L.P. (1950) "La Technique Photographique"
5th Ed, tome II, Publications photographiques et cinematographiques Paul Montel, Paris V, 1950, nota a pie' pag. 816
8. Bibliography
Abrahamson, H.B. (1999) "The Photochemical Basis of Cyanotype Photography"
J. Chem. Educ., 1999, 76, 1199-1200
reperibile come abstract in
http://jchemed.chem.wisc.edu/Journal/Issues/2001/Mar/abs311_2.html
Bolognesi, G. (1994) "Antiche Tecniche"
Collana Manuali di Fotografia di Tutti Fotografi, p.51
Clerc, L.P. (1950) "La Technique Photographique"
5th Ed, tome II, Publications photographiques et cinematographiques Paul Montel, Paris V, 1950, pp.816-817
Glafkides, P. (1958) "Photographic Chemistry Vol. One"
trans. K. Hornsby; Fountain Press, 1958
Hylen , M. (2000) "Cyanotypes. A New Look at an Old Technique" Thesis published at Central St. Martin's school of graphic design, MA, 2000
http://cyanotypes.portland.co.uk/cthesis.html
Kleinke, H. (2001) "Metal Chemistry. Inorganic Transition. Class notes 6: Isomerisms and reaction mechanisms"
http://www.science.uwaterloo.ca/course_notes/chemistry/chem310/2001_6.html
Namias, R. (1929) "Chimica Fotografica"
VII Edizione; Il Progresso Fotografico, Milano 1929. Vol. II, p.204
Scheimreif, S. (2000) "Diploma Physical Science. Answer to: What is the toxicity of ferrocyanide and ferricyanide ions?"
http://www.sci-ctr.edu.sg/ScienceNet/cat_physical/cat_che010508.html
Seigel, J. (2000a) "Random notes on exposure, cyanotype & so forth..."
The World J. of Post-Factory Photogr., Issue#5, p.30
Seigel, J. (2000b) "Cyantifically speaking: about the paper"
The World J. of Post-Factory Photogr., Issue#5, pp.38-40
Seigel, J. (2000c) "Managing the blues"
The World J. of Post-Factory Photogr., Issue#5, pp.34-37
Wall, E.J. (1924) "Photographic Facts and Formulas"
American Photographic Publishing Co., Boston, Mass., 1924
Ware, M. (1996) "The New Cyanotype Process"
http://www.mikeware.demon.co.uk/cyano.html
Ware, M. (1999) "Cyanotype. The History, Science and Art of Photographic Printing in Prussian Blue"
National Museum of Photography, Film & Television; Bradford, UK, 1999. (208 pp.)