Fast Atom Bombardment (FAB) of some photographic processing chemicals

Abstract Most of the organic chemicals used in photographic processing solutions are water soluble, salt-like species. Confirming their presence in mixtures or identification in deposits represents a considerable analytical problem. Fast Atom Bombardment (FAB) mass spectrometry has been seen to be a suitable technique for the analysis of such compounds. This work reports on the characterization of two colour developing agents, both salts of p-phenylene diamines, and five sequestering agents, the latter class being particularly difficult compounds to characterize by other methods.