C 141 (Expt. No. 10) NAME : _______________________________________ BATCH : _________ ROLL No.
: ________________________ SIGNATURE : _________________________________ DATE : __________
Cyanotype
AIM To study the photochemical
Blue
Printing
reduction
of ferric
oxalate in cyanotype
blue
printing.
THEORY The quite cyanotype long-lasting or blueprint photographic blue. distinct reactions : complexes ferric to are reduced and with citrate react process is one of several alternative photographic methods, which relies on the normally on in 2 photoreduction of ferric ions. Cyanotypes are
and are relies present ferric ions
Cyanotype (a) by (b) the called
chemistry ions light (for
ferric
organic-iron ammonium are form
example, formed to blue,
ammonium ferrous potassium
oxalate) ; allowed an insoluble blue compound
ferricyanide
Prussian
Fe4 [Fe(CN)6]3 . 15 H2O.
The structure of Prussian blue has hexacoordinate Fe (II) bound through the carbon atoms, and To hexacoordinate achieve the in Fe (III) bound through the of the nitrogen atoms, forming an extended by also water water cubic framework. stoichiometry, reduces some cubic otherwise one - fourth ligand in the Fe (II) sites thus lattice. ferric oxalate are as created. are occupied and water are There molecules. This occupy molecules the number of bridging empty sites positions crystal cyanide groups, molecules
The chemical equations for follows : (a)
the reactions involved in blueprinting with
Under UV light, ferric oxalate (or its ammonium salt) gets reduced to ferrous oxalate, with the release of CO2 ,
2 (NH4)3 Fe (C2O4)3 (ferric)
2 CO2 + 2 Fe (C2O4) + 3 (NH4)2 (C2O4) (ferrous)
(b)
The ferrous
iron
reacts
with
potassium ferricyanide
to form
ferroferricyanide
(Prussian blue), Fe (C2O4) + K3Fe(CN)6
K Fe [Fe(CN)6] 2 Fe4 [Fe(CN)6]3 +
K 2 (C2O4) 2 K4 Fe(CN)6
8 K Fe [Fe(CN)6]
MATERIALS Oxalic acid,
REQUIRED diammonium hydrogen phosphate, ferric chloride, potassium ferricyanide,
potassium dichromate,
HCl solution
PROCEDURE 1. Pour 50 ml of 0.5 M oxalic acid into a 250 ml beaker. Add 10 ml of 3.5 M diammonium hydrogen phosphate solution, and 2. mix well.Keep the beaker in subdued light. Add 50 ml of ferric chloride while stirring. If a precipitate is formed, further stirring should dissolve it. Keep this solution inside the cupboard, since the ferric oxalate light. 3. Immerse 4 pieces of bond paper (4 x 2.5) prepared sensitizing solution (ammonium iron in the freshly oxalate solution). is sensitive to
Rotate the beaker and make sure that the paper is thoroughly wet. 4. 5. 6. Remove the wet pieces of paper, and This should be done as quickly as After the paper has dried, between Expose minutes. During printing, do not hold the glass plates, but lay them on the desk, sheets of to sunlight. is about 45 glass. place them between sheets possible. sheets. and compress it sensitized paper, of filter paper.
remove it from the filter paper top of the
Place the opaque object on the
The time required for exposure of a normal print in bright sunlight
windowsill, or any flat surface. 7. After the exposure, smoothly in dip the paper into 50 ml of 0.1 M potassium
ferricyanide solution, kept
a wide-mouthed dish.
8. 9.
Remove the paper and dip it in 50 ml of 0.03 M potassium dichromate 1 minute. Wash the paper first in Make a series best conditions. 0.1 M HCl, and then in tap water. to
solution for
of 2 3 exposures,
varying the time of exposure
optimize the
Use
these
conditions the
to
obtain of
the
most for
satisfactory pictures. each picture.
Record
Time
Exposure