Process of recovering silver from photographic solutions and inhibiting formation of undesirable precipitate

A process for inhibiting the formation of an unwanted precipitate comprising [H.sub.2-n TMT]Na.sub.n [HNR.sub.3 ] on the inner surfaces of an apparatus, during precipitation in said apparatus of silver mercapto-s-triazine (AgTMT) from a silver containing photoprocessing solution, wherein said process comprises the steps of:

• (a) providing an apparatus having inner surfaces;
• (b) pumping the silver containing photoprocessing solution into the apparatus;
• (c) pumping TMT reagent into the silver containing photoprocessing solution within the apparatus, to mix the silver containing photoprocessing solution and the TMT reagent, thereby forming AgTMT precipitate;
• (d) adding sufficient base to increase the pH of the mixture of the TMT reagent and photoprocessing solution in the apparatus above the pH of the mixture, before addition of base, said added base being mixed:
• (i) directly to the photoprocessing solution before mixing TMT reagent with the photoprocessing solution;
• or
• (ii) with the photoprocessing solution concurrently with TMT reagent;
• or
• (iii) immediately after the point TMT reagent begins mixing with the photoprocessing solution.