Thermally developable material

Details Thermally developable material Thermally developable material

1999-10-19

2001-07-10

Chea, Thorl (Department: 1752)

Radiation imagery chemistry: process, composition, or product th

Radiation sensitive product

Silver compound sensitizer containing

C430S531000, C430S617000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06258524

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a thermally developable material, and specifically relate to a thermally developable photosensitive material which is suitable for producing an excellent dot image employing a laser image setter.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Conventionally, in the graphic art field, processing solution waste generated along with the wet process for image forming materials has caused problems regarding workability, and in recent years, a decrease in the processing solution waste has been strongly demanded in terms of ecological concerns and space savings. Thus, a technique for a light heat photographic material for technical photographic use is sought in which exposure can be effectively carried out using a laser image setter, and development by no use of processing solution, is possible, so that sharp and bright images with high resolution can be attained.
Methods for such techniques are well known and which are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,152,904 and 3,487,075, and in D. Morgan, “Dry Silver Photographic Materials” (Handbook of Imaging Materials, Marcel Dekker, Inc. page 48, 1991), etc.
Said thermally developable photosensitive material comprises a reducible silver source (organic silver salt), a light catalyzer with a catalytically active amount, and a reducing agent which are generally dispersed into a (organic) binder matrix. The thermally developable photosensitive material is stable at normal temperatures and is developed, after exposure, when heated to high temperatures. Upon heating, silver is formed through an oxidation-reduction reaction between the organic silver salt (functioning as an oxidizing agent) and the reducing agent. This oxidation-reduction reaction is accelerated by the catalytic action of a latent image formed in the silver halide through exposure. Silver formed by the reaction with the organic silver salt in an exposed area yields a black image, which contrasts with unexposed areas to form a visual image.
In order for the thermally developable photosensitive material to be effectively exposed to produce an excellent dot image, a photosensitive material, by which a high contrast image can be obtained, is necessary. A conventional silver halide photosensitive material contains a hydrazine derivative as a high contrast enhancement agent, and it is well known that the above-mentioned thermally developable photosensitive material also contains a hydrazine derivative as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,545,505 and 5,464,738.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
When said thermally developable material is processed with an exposing apparatus and an automatic processor, transportation problems of said thermally developable material tend to occur. Said transportation problems are often caused by small protrusions which are formed by adhered matters on the transportation rollers, so that said thermally developable photosensitive material tends to get out the transportation system, or said thermally developable photosensitive material is itself wound around the transportation rollers. After efforts of the present inventive employees to overcome the above-mentioned problems, it was found that these problems were often attributed to the softening of a support of the thermally developable material, because said thermally developable material is developed at an extremely high temperature, at which a conventional silver halide photographic light-sensitive material is not developed. Because of the above-mentioned reason, many transportation failures occur in processing said thermally developable material.
To overcome the above-detailed problems, some auxiliary guides are provided between the transportation rollers to regulate the transportation pathway. However, with said guides, abrasion marks (black abrasions) on the thermally developable material can not be avoided, and specifically, in the case of the thermally developable photosensitive material containing a high contrast enhancement agent such as hydrazine derivative, the black abrasions are marked and unacceptable for practical use. Further, when said thermally developable material contains said high contrast enhancement agent, fogging due to the transportation rollers, a so-called roller mark, is marked.
Furthermore, in the case of a laser image setter in which an exposing apparatus and an thermal developer are integrated, said transportation problems readily tend to occur because transportation pathway is very long.
In the foregoing statements, the present invention was accomplished. An object of the present invention is to provide a thermally developable material with excellent transportation capability, when said thermally developable material is processed at a high temperature. The second object of the present invention is to provide a thermally developable material without transportation problems, when said thermally developable material is processed with a laser image setter in which an exposing apparatus and an automatic developer are integrated. The third object of the present invention is to provide a thermally developable material suitable for forming a dot image employing said laser image setter.
Furthermore, with a conventional thermally developable material, the following problems other than the above- mentioned problems are cited. When a thermally developable material is applied for the use of the graphic art field, since many sheets of the thermally developable material are needed, a wide thermally developable material in roll form is practically used, therefore, said wide thermally developable material in roll form is cut to predetermined sizes in an exposing apparatus (generally, in a plotter or a laser image setter, and the plotter being the generic term for said exposing apparatus). However, since the thickness of the photosensitive layer side of said roll type thermally developable photosensitive material is rather thick, cutter failures, in the cutting of said roll type thermally developable photosensitive material in said plotter, occur frequently. Therefore, in the foregoing statements, an additional object of the present is to provide the prevention of said cutter failures.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The above-mentioned objects are attained by the following constitution.
[Item 1] A thermally developable material comprising a support, an image forming layer containing an organic silver salt, and a component layer provided on the same side as said image forming layer provided,
wherein the stiffness (ST) of said thermally developable material under conditions of 23° C. and 50% RH is 30 g≦ST≦80 g.
[Item 2] The thermally developable material of item 1,
wherein said image forming layer or said component layer contains a reducing agent or a precursor of said reducing agent.
[Item 3] The thermally developable material of item 1,
wherein said image forming layer contains silver halide grains, and said thermally developable material is a thermally developable photosensitive material.
[Item 4] The thermally developable material of item 1,
wherein said thermally developable material contains a hydrazine derivatives.
[Item 5] The thermally developable material of item 1,
wherein the breaking stress of said thermally developable material is from 10 to 30 kgf/mm
2
.
[Item 6] The thermally developable material of item 1,
wherein the breaking elogation of said thermally developable material is from 100 to 300%.
[Item 7] The thermally developable material of item 1, wherein the Young's modulus of said thermally developable material is from 300 to 600 kgf/mm
2
.
[Item 8] The thermally developable material of item 1,
wherein said thermally developable material is a roll type thermally developable material.
[Item 9] The thermally developable material of item 1,
wherein said thermally developable material contains a polymer latex of which glass transition temperature is lower than 50° C.
[Item 10] The thermally developable material of item 1,
wherein

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Thermally developable material does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Thermally developable material, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Thermally developable material will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2503661