I was given some unexposed/new but expired (2009) x-ray films and want to extract the silver from it.  I want to do this as a project with my youngest son for fun and as a science lesson.

I have a degree in chemistry so I can learn how to do this.  From the little reading I've done, I would likely use sodium thiosulfate to dissolve the silver halide(s) and then reduce the silver to metal using sorbitol solution.  To do this, I want to remove the film from the black plastic and I'd like to do this with a safelight.  

But is a safelight even necessary?  Since a developer isn't being used, and the silver halide is not converted to silver metal, can the film be taken out of the package and placed in the sodium thiosulfate and dissolve the silver halide (chloride, bromide) like you would in a fixer solution for black and white photos?

There are many more questions that need to be answered such as how much silver halide the film contains and how much sodium thiosulfate % to use, but the safelight is the first step here.

You only need a safelight to handle the film to put it in a cassette prior to exposure and to take it out post exposure to put it in the processor. For what you are doing you can do it all under white light.


Big tag to see how you do it and what your yield is. I spent a lot of time in Navy darkrooms and the silver recovery system was locked and we were warned not to even look at it too hard. I have no idea what the guts were like but it consisted of a blue plastic box that sounded like it had a motor inside. There was also some plumbing of course.

Or

Considering the miniscule amount of metal per film; build an unlicensed xray generator and see what develops?

OK, so no safelight needed.

Ugh, I did think about that.

I also thought about getting natural sources of radiation and finding a use for the film, ie. exposing it and developing it.  

I feel like this film is a curse in some ways.

I see 45-75 ounces per 100 pounds of unexposed film quoted online.

Maybe do a few sheets to see what your recovery rate is then see about sending it off if that makes more sense.

I think x-ray film is essentially b&w film. And since you're not capturing images, white light or even daylight shouldn't affect your process.
I have used graphics arts film quite a bit, but never played with x-ray film. However, the development process was basically the same.

It is basically b&w, there are rare earth screens in the cassette that fluoresce when they are hit by x-rays. That light creates the latent  image on the film.

Since virtually all diagnostic X-ray systems switched to digital decades ago, just find an old silver reclamation tank no longer in use. Once the libraries of X-rays were converted over, most of those probably are sitting idle or scrapped.

I looked into it briefly back in the day. I may be wrong but I think it was a mostly electrolysis process.

I am reading everyone’s post even if I don’t quote it and respond directly.  

I read about the electrolysis.  It’s not beyond my capabilities but I’m trying to keep it simple.