DE3927368A1 - Final treatment of machine processed photographic material - by spraying both sides with regenerating liquor after leaving bath to increase efficiency - Google Patents

Abstract

In final treatment of machine-processed photographic material, the regeneration soln. for the final treatment bath is sprayed above the liq. level of the bath onto both sides of the photographic material leaving the bath. Pref. several processing units are combined to a countercurrent cascade and the overflow of the next tank is sprayed onto both sides of the material leaving the preceding tank, above the liq. level in the tank. The final bath is pref. a stabiliser bath or water. USE/ADVANTAGE - The technique is simple and can improve final treatment, reduce tha amt. of final treatment bath required and/or reduce the number of cascade stages. In an example 1000 m2 colour paper was developed for 180 s with 325 ml/m2 regeneration, bleach-fixed for 90 s with 325 ml/m2 regeneration and washed 4 times, each for 45 s with 1000 ml/m2 regeneration. Each washing tank had a vol. of ca. 97 1 and the tanks were not connected in a cascade. The bleach-fixing bath contained 50 g/l Fe-NH4-EDTA, 100 g/l (NH4)2S203 and 20 g/l Na sulphite. After processing 1000 m2 colour paper, the first washing tank contained 3.79 g/l Fe-NH4-EDTA and 7.31 g/l (NH4)2S203 and the second 0.27 g/l Fe-NH4-EDTA and 0.53 g/l (NH4)2S203. If fresh water was sprayed onto the material leaving the first washing tank, the second washing tank contained only 0.09 g/l Fe-NH4 -EDTA and 0.16 g/l (NH4)2S2O3. Hence washing was more efficient and the number of washing stages or the water consumption could be reduced.

Description

Photographic materials, in particular color photographic Materials are after development, if necessary Bleaching and fixing usually watered to all the chemicals that later increase the durability of the picture can affect, remove.

This watering is usually a multi-stage countercurrent cascade designed for optimal cleaning to achieve. Fresh water becomes the last watering tank admittedly, the water with the highest concentration of chemicals flows from the first wash tank from. The supply of fresh water becomes understandable kept as small as possible.

So z. B. in Kodak Ra 4 process a final watering provided by 90 sec, in a quadruple cascade divided by 22.5 sec. A good Washing result is at a carry-over amount  of 100 ml / m² with a quantity of water of 900 ml / m² reached. A reduction of this amount of water would signify a significant economic benefit.

Various technical aids are used to the amount of from the processing baths into the watering to prevent delayed chemical solutions, and so to an improved irrigation or to to come to a reduction in water needs, z. B. become one-sided or double-acting wiper lips used, but easily scratched on the photo materials and therefore reluctantly applied become.

Furthermore, devices are used, the Extract chemicals by vacuum or by compressed air Blow off.

These devices are cost and energy intensive and have an extra space requirement.

From DE-C 33 20 787 a device is known, whose Effect is increased by the fact that on the inlet side of the photographic material under this one itself Overflow tank with gutter extending over the tank width is arranged, as well as a first, about the tank width extending roller pair with opposite the water level inclined axis plane, with between the gutter and this adjacent roller of the Roller pair a narrower compared to the tank length  Gap remains that in the lower part of the tank a over the tank width extending, roller parallel Spray pipe for water supply with substantially upwards directed outlet openings is arranged so that the jet emerging from the spray tube onto the gap between gutter and roller is directed.

By the said device is indeed a small Preference flow generated by the introduced into the tank Chemicals near the entry point the overflow and overflow, but still occurs a considerable mixing of the imported chemicals with the entire tank contents, especially as described Spray tube is arranged in the lower part of the tank.

Object of the present invention is to provide a simple Process for the final treatment of photographic materials to find that either an improvement of Final treatment or a reduction of the final bath requirement or a reduction of the cascade stages or a combination of these effects.

The solution to this problem is achieved by the method according to claim. Preferred embodiments of the Process according to the invention are in the subclaims in particular, the inventive Process for washing a photographic product applied.  

The figures show the measures according to the invention in Comparison to a conventional watering.

Fig. 1

shows a conventional two-stage Wässerungskaskade through which the photographic material ( 1 ) is passed. Guide elements such as driven roller pairs, etc. are not shown. Both chambers are divided by racks ( 2 ), which may be formed as partitions, fresh water flows into the bottom of the second tank ( 3 ), the overflow ( 4 ) is fed into the bottom of the first tank ( 5 ). Water with the highest concentration of chemicals leaves the first tank at the point ( 6 ).

Fig. 2

shows a device according to the invention, is sprayed at the fresh water above the liquid level in the second tank on the material ( 1 ) ( 7 ). The overflow ( 4 ) from the second tank is pumped up by pump ( 8 ) and also sprayed onto the material above the liquid level of the first tank ( 9 ). The racks ( 2 ) can in turn be designed as partitions.

example 1

1000 m² of color paper are as follows with the usual Regeneration rates processed:

The tank volume of the washing tanks is approx. 97 l. The tanks are not connected in cascade.

The essential ingredients of the bleach-fix bath used are:

Iron ammonium EDTA | 50 g / l ammonium 100 g / l sodium 20 g / l

The composition of the BX regenerator is chosen that said BX concentrations during processing kept constant.  

After processing 1000 m² of color paper became analytical the chemical concentration in the 1st wash tank determined after the bleach-fix bath:

Iron ammonium EDTA | 3.79 g / l ammonium 7.31 g / l

Also, the concentrations in the second wash tank were determined after the bleach-fix bath:

Iron ammonium EDTA | 0.27 g / l ammonium 0.53 g / l

Example 2 (according to the invention)

The procedure is as in Example 1, but the first tank after BX is modified so that the fresh water above the liquid level is sprayed finely and distributed on the paper before it leaves the tank completely, is deflected and immersed in the tank 2 .

Since the rinse rate was maintained at 1000 ml / m², were in the first tank after the BX within the analytical Accuracy the same concentrations Found iron ammonium EDT and ammonium thiosulfate.

In the second tank after the Bleachfixierbad were only determined the following drastically reduced concentrations:

Iron ammonium EDTA | 0.09 g / l ammonium 0.16 g / l

While in Example 1 the leaching effect thereby is characterized in that the concentration in each case about 7.5% of the concentration of the previous tank is lowered takes place in Example 2 of the invention a reduction to 2-2.5%, d. H. the effectiveness of Watering is increased.

The number of watering stages can be reduced or but the water consumption can be lowered.

Claims (3)

1. A process for the final treatment of a processed photographic material by means of a final bath, characterized in that the regeneration solution for the final bath above the liquid level of the final bath is sprayed on both sides of the photographic material leaving the final bath. 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that a plurality of treatment units according to claim 1 are combined to form a countercurrent cascade, the overflow of the following tanks respectively through spray nozzles above the liquid level on both sides of the previous tank leaving photographic material is sprayed. 3. The method according to claim 1, characterized that the final bath is a stabilizer bath or water is.