Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company

Eastman-Kodak Company

Carestream Health, Inc.

Imation Corporation

Mark C Skinner

Thomas C Geisler

James C Vanous

Sharon Mary Simpson

Chaofeng Zou

James B Philip, Jr

Paul C Schubert

Steven M Shor

Thomas J Kub

Pu Zhou

Darlene F Stewart

Kumars Sakizadeh

Doreen Catherine Lynch

Bryan V Hunt

Steven H Kong

John M Winslow

James R Miller

Thomas W Schwartz

Lilia P Burleva

David A Morgan

Robert R Brearey

Gary L Featherstone

Jeanine I Zeller-Pendrey

A photothermographic material having a Dmin and Dmax optical density. The material includes a support having hereon one or more thermally-developable imaging layers which are developable to produce an image when the photothermographic material is thermally processed; and an area disposed along a length of at least one edge of the photothermographic material, wherein the area has an optical density less than the Dmax and greater than the Dmin of the photothermographic material.

Thermally developable imaging material

A photothermographic emulsion is prepared by chemically sensitizing silver halide grains by oxidative decomposition of an organic sulfur-containing compound on or around the silver halide grains. This procedure uses a unique sequence of steps and provides increased photographic speed and manufacturing reproducibility. The resulting photothermographic emulsion can be used to prepare photothermographic materials.

Method for chemical sensitization of silver halide for photothermographic use

The present invention provides a spectrally sensitized photothermographic silver halide element comprising a support layer having on at least one surface thereof a photothermographic composition which displays uniform image density across its surface when exposed to floodlight or uniform incandescent light exposure at radiation wavelengths to which the element is sensitive, said element comprising at least two layers, including a top layer and a photothermographic emulsion layer, said photothermographic emulsion layer comprising a binder, a light insensitive silver source, a reducing agent for silver ion and infrared radiation sensitive silver halide grains, wherein the coherent radiation is rendered more diffuse in its passage through the element than when it strikes the top layer. This may be accomplished at least in part by 1) the top layer of the element having haze induced therein of 0.05 to 30% by surface modification of that layer, 2) there being a random refractive pattern on the top layer, 3) haze being induced in the silver halide containing layer, 4) the reflective characteristics of a surface of the support layer facing the photothermographic composition have been altered to reduce reflection of coherent radiation into said composition, and/or 5) having a radiation absorbing material contained within the photothermographic element to decrease light reflected off of the support.

Photothermographic element with reduced woodgrain interference patterns

The present invention provides a spectrally sensitized photothermographic silver halide element comprising a support layer having on at least one surface thereof a photothermographic composition which displays uniform image density across its surface when exposed to floodlight or uniform incandescent light exposure at radiation wavelengths to which the element is sensitive, said element comprising at least two layers, including a top layer and a photothermographic emulsion layer, said photothermographic emulsion layer comprising a binder, a light insensitive silver source, a reducing agent for silver ion and infrared radiation sensitive silver halide grains, wherein the coherent radiation is rendered more diffuse in its passage through the element than when it strikes the top layer. This may be accomplished at least in part by 1) the top layer of the element having haze induced therein of 0.05 to 306 by surface modification of that layer, 2) there being a random refractive pattern on the top layer, 3) haze being induced in the silver halide containing layer, 4) the reflective characteristics of a surface of the support layer facing the photothermographic composition have been altered to reduce reflection of coherent radiation into said composition, and/or 5) having a radiation absorbing material contained within the photothermographic element to decrease light reflected off of the support.

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

A negative-acting photothermographic element comprising a support bearing at least one heat-developable, photosensitive, image-forming photothermographic emulsion layer comprising:

Photothermographic element with pre-formed iridium-doped silver halide

A welding blanket comprising a layer of flexible protective material comprising unexpanded vermiculite and inorganic heat resistant fibrous material, which layer undergoes localized expansion in a direction normal to its major surfaces when contacted by spatter of molten metal during a welding process; and two relatively thin flexible cover sheets, one attached along each of the major surfaces of the layer of flexible material to maintain its structural integrity.

Welding blanket

A welding method for metal parts includes preparing the surface areas of the parts to be welded to provide bare metal surfaces which are clean and dry, clamping said parts together, coating the bare metal surface with a liquid coating comprised of zinc dust, manganomanganic oxide fume, and organic binder, permitting the coating to dry, and welding the coated surfaces together by gas metal arc welding.

Welding method which provides a weld with corrosion protection

Photothermographic imaging elements are provided with strippable layers which have electrical conductivity in the range of 60 to 1,500 ohms/square. The elements may be exposed to radiation and then thermally developed by applying a voltage across the strippable layer which becomes resistively heated. After development, the strippable layer may be removed.

Growing community of inventors

Afton, MN, United States of America

Mark C Skinner