Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company

Imation Corporation

John M Winslow

James R Miller

Kenneth G Gatzke

Sharon Mary Simpson

Doreen Catherine Lynch

Chaofeng Zou

Mark C Skinner

Gary E LaBelle

Brian C Willett

Pu Zhou

Thomas D Lyons

Gary L Featherstone

Sam Kalousdian

Sergio Pesce

Ivan R Maw

Donald H Klosterboer

Chemical sensitization of silver halide photothermographic emulsions used in photothermographic elements, can be effected by the decomposition of sulfur containing compounds on or around the surface of the silver halide grains, usually under oxidizing conditions at elevated temperatures. Alignment of the sulfur containing compounds on the surface of the grains, can be accomplished with spectral sensitizing dyes and appears to be particularly effective in providing strong chemical sensitization effects.

Chemical sensitization of photothermographic silver halide emulsions

Photothermographic elements of the photothermographic type may be sensitized to the infrared with sensitizing dyes of the formula: ##STR1## wherein: R.sup.1 represents a (CH.sub.2).sub.n --COO.sup.- group of from 1-20 carbon atoms, or an alkyl group of from 1 to 20 carbon atoms; and

Sensitizers for photothermographic elements

Photothermographic emulsions sensitive to ultraviolet radiation can be coated on both sides of polymeric film which is inherently absorptive of the ultraviolet radiation, preventing crossover effects in cassette loading of the film.

Radiographic thermographic imaging film

Support layers for photosensitive media comprise reflective sheeting which is transparentizable. The properties of the support layer enable it to act as an antihalation layer.

Transparentizable antihalation layers

Vesicular imaging films have good speed and stable latent images when comprised of a diazonium compound, nitrate salt, and binder comprising gelatin or poly(vinyl alcohol). The film can even have highly stable final images when the binder comprises poly(vinyl alcohol).

Diazo vesicular imaging films with nitrate salt

The cost of conventional silver halide imaging technology has increased dramatically with the rising cost of silver. It would therefore be desirable to remove the silver from such imaging materials. Many replacement systems for silver tend to be complex without providing equivalent sensitometric results to silver halide systems. A novel imaging system comprising a binder containing nitrate salt, acid, and bleachable dye has been found to be an effective thermographic imaging system.

Decolorizable imaging system

An imageable layer comprising a polymeric binder, a bleachable dye or a leuco dye, a nitrate salt, and a photosensitive diazonium salt, the nitrate salt in the imageable layer being capable of liberating HNO.sub.3, NO, NO.sub.2 or N.sub.2 O.sub.4 in oxidizing amounts when the layer is heated to no more than 200.degree. C. for 60 seconds.

Light sensitive, thermally developable imaging system

A light insensitive imageable layer comprising a synthetic polymeric binder, a dye, a nitrate salt, and an acid.

Thermographic and photothermographic materials are provided by using organic or inorganic silver salts complexed with coordinating compounds having a gross stability constant between 4.50 and 10.00. When the complexed silver salt is in catalytic proximity to photosensitive silver halides, photothermographic elements are produced.

Thermographic and photothermographic materials having silver salt

A heat-developable diazotype sheet containing an acid-stabilized diazonium salt in one layer thereof and an acid-neutralizing component in another layer thereof is shown wherein at least 25% by weight of the acid-neutralizer component comprises imidazole derivatives of a specific formula.

Light-sensitive thermal developable diazotype sheets with imidazoles

A process of forming photothermographic emulsions which comprises adding silver halide with agitation to a dispersion of melted long chain fatty acid in water in the absence of alkali and ammonia salts of said acid, then converting the acid to an ammonia salt or alkali metal salt, then cooling the dispersion, and thereafter converting the alkali metal salt or ammonia salt to a silver salt of the acid.

Method for the preparation of a photothermographic system

A combination of phthalazine and certain aromatic acids or anhydrides thereof serves as a toner during heat development of exposed dry silver image forming sheet materials.

Growing community of inventors

South St. Paul, MN, United States of America

John M Winslow