High sensitivity film

2000/03/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Kimika

A team of researchers at Paris Sud University has created a film 10 times more sensitive than ever.

Although the old glass plate has replaced plastics, the chemistry behind photography has changed little in the last 150 years. The photographic films are formed by layers of gelatin formed by silver bromide and upon receiving light, an electron from the bromide passes to silver. As a result, silver accumulates in the form of metal on the film and the negative of the photo is formed.

However, many of the electrons to be exchanged are lost along the way and photographs taken in moments of low luminosity often present a low quality. In the film created by researchers in Paris many fewer electrons are lost along the way and, with little light, very light images can be produced.

High sensitivity film that uses a substance called formiate to prevent the loss of electrons and that, despite the good results obtained, the company that owns the Agfa project does not yet know when it will market.