USH1127H - Silver halide photographic material - Google Patents

Silver halide photographic material Download PDF

Info

Publication number
USH1127H
USH1127H US07/593,496 US59349690A USH1127H US H1127 H USH1127 H US H1127H US 59349690 A US59349690 A US 59349690A US H1127 H USH1127 H US H1127H
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
group
silver halide
silver
photographic material
material according
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Abandoned
Application number
US07/593,496
Inventor
Hiroshi Shimazaki
Fumie Fukazawa
Masayuki Kurematsu
Kenjiro Ushiyama
Satoru Shimba
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Konica Minolta Inc
Original Assignee
Konica Minolta Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Konica Minolta Inc filed Critical Konica Minolta Inc
Priority to US07/593,496 priority Critical patent/USH1127H/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of USH1127H publication Critical patent/USH1127H/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • GPHYSICS
    • G03PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
    • G03CPHOTOSENSITIVE MATERIALS FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC PURPOSES; PHOTOGRAPHIC PROCESSES, e.g. CINE, X-RAY, COLOUR, STEREO-PHOTOGRAPHIC PROCESSES; AUXILIARY PROCESSES IN PHOTOGRAPHY
    • G03C7/00Multicolour photographic processes or agents therefor; Regeneration of such processing agents; Photosensitive materials for multicolour processes
    • G03C7/30Colour processes using colour-coupling substances; Materials therefor; Preparing or processing such materials
    • G03C7/392Additives
    • G03C7/396Macromolecular additives
    • GPHYSICS
    • G03PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
    • G03CPHOTOSENSITIVE MATERIALS FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC PURPOSES; PHOTOGRAPHIC PROCESSES, e.g. CINE, X-RAY, COLOUR, STEREO-PHOTOGRAPHIC PROCESSES; AUXILIARY PROCESSES IN PHOTOGRAPHY
    • G03C1/00Photosensitive materials
    • G03C1/005Silver halide emulsions; Preparation thereof; Physical treatment thereof; Incorporation of additives therein
    • G03C1/04Silver halide emulsions; Preparation thereof; Physical treatment thereof; Incorporation of additives therein with macromolecular additives; with layer-forming substances
    • G03C1/053Polymers obtained by reactions involving only carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds, e.g. vinyl polymers

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a silver halide photographic material. More particularly, the present invention relates to a silver halide color photographic material that is adapted for rapid processing without experiencing increased fogging and which is capable of producing an image having improved sharpness and granularity.
  • color light-sensitive materials are normally processed on a running basis with automatic developers that are installed at photofinishing laboratories.
  • the desire of users for having their pictures developed as soon as possible is constantly growing and most modern laboratories have facilities for developing negative films and returning the developed films to users on the day they received the negatives. Some laboratories are even capable of returning the finished films within several hours from the time they were received.
  • An object, therefore, of the present invention is to provide a silver halide photographic material that is protected against fogging and which is adapted for rapid processing, in particular, for rapid color development while experiencing a minimal level of increase in fogging.
  • Another object of the present invention is to provide a silver halide photographic material that is capable of producing image having improved sharpness and granularity.
  • a silver halide photographic material that contains a polymer including a repeating unit represented by the following general formula (1) and having a weight average molecular weight of no more than 30,000: ##STR2## where R 1 is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group; Z represents the atomic group necessary to form a lactam ring, an oxazolidone ring or a pyrrolidone ring; A is a simple linkage, --CO--, --COO( CH 2 ) 2 or --CONR 2 (CH 2 ) n where R 2 is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group, and n is an integer of 1-6.
  • R 1 is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group
  • Z represents the atomic group necessary to form a lactam ring, an oxazolidone ring or a pyrrolidone ring
  • A is a simple linkage, --CO--, --COO( CH 2 ) 2 or --CONR 2 (CH 2 ) n
  • Polymers including a repeating unit represented by the general formula (I) have conventionally been used as substitutes for binders such as gelatin.
  • Japanese Patent Application (OPI) No. 136641/1982 discloses a technique for increasing the reversal sensitivity of an internal latent image forming direct positive emulsion by chemically sensitizing the surface of emulsion grains in the presence of said polymers.
  • Japanese Patent Publication No. 51259/1972 discloses the use of these polymers in combination with a hydroxyl containing black-and-white developing agent (or derivative thereof) so as to improve the granularity of a color light-sensitive material of interest while inhibiting the occurrence of color fogging.
  • the polymer including a repeating unit represented by the general formula (I) and which is to be used in the present invention has a weight average molecular weight of no more than 30,000, preferably no more than 20,000, with 10,000 or below being particularly preferred.
  • the weight average molecular weight of the polymer of the present invention is a polyethylene glycol adjusted value as determined from the curve constructed by performing GPC (gel permeation chromatography) using TSK-GEL Toyopal (Tosoh Corp.) as a column packing material.
  • the intended effect of the present invention can be attained by using the polymer of the present invention in smaller amounts that are necessary when it is used as a protective colloid or a binder.
  • the polymer is used in an amount of 0.01-10 g per mole of silver in terms of the weight of the repeating unit (I) in the polymer, and the range of 0.02-5.0 g is preferred, with the range of 0.1-2.0 g being particularly preferred.
  • the silver halide photographic material of the present invention may contain polymers of higher molecular weights that are outside the scope of the present invention, and the inclusion of such additional polymers will do no harm to the objective of the present invention.
  • This polymer has a repeating unit represented by the general formula (I).
  • R 1 is a hydrogen atom
  • A is a simple linkage or ##STR3##
  • Z represents the atomic group necessary to form a five- or six-membered lactam or oxazolidone ring.
  • ##STR4## represents a pyrrolidone or oxazolidone residue
  • said group is a pyrrolidone residue.
  • the polymer having a repeating unit represented by the general formula (I) may be a homopolymer or a copolymer.
  • this polymer may be a homopolymer of a monomer represented by the general formula (I), or a copolymer of two or more monomers represented by the general formula (I), or a polymer prepared by copolymerizing one or more of such monomers with an addition-polymerizable ethylenically unsaturated compound.
  • Examples of the addition-polymerizable ethylenically unsaturated compound that is capable of forming a copolymer together with the monomer of the general formula (I) include: acrylate esters, methacrylate esters, acrylamides, methacrylamides, allyl compounds, vinyl ethers, vinyl esters, vinyl heterocyclic compounds, styrenes, maleate esters, fumarate esters, itaconate esters, crotonate esters and olefins.
  • the following comonomers are preferred: acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate, 2-methoxyethyl acrylate, sulfopropyl acrylate, acrylamide, dimethyl acrylamide, 2-acryloylamino-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid, hydroxyethyl acrylamide, methacrylamide, methyl vinyl ether, sodium styrenesulfonate, N-vinyl-3,5-dimethyltriazole, and maleic anhydride.
  • compositional range of the polymer containing a repeating unit represented by the general formula (I) is not limited in any particular way but preferably the component represented by the general formula (I) accounts for 10-100 mol %, more preferably 50-100 mol %, of the polymer.
  • Homopolymers or copolymers having a repeating unit represented by the general formula (I) may be synthesized by known methods such as those described in British Patent Nos. 961,395, 1,211,039, Japanese Patent Publication No. 29195/1972, Japanese Patent Application (OPI) Nos. 76593/1973, 92022/1973, 21134/1974, 120634/1974, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,227,672, 3,290,417, 3,262,919, 3,245,932, 2,681,897, 3,230,275, John C. Petropoulos et al., Official Digest, 33, pp. 719-736 (1961), and "Gosei Kobunshi (Synthetic Polymers)", ed. by S. Murahashi, Vol. 1, pp. 246-290, and vol. 3, pp. 1-108.
  • N-Vinyloxazolidone/acrylic acid copolymer (molar ratio, 80:20)
  • N-Vinylpyrrolidone/acrylamide copolymer (molar ratio, 60:40)
  • N-Vinylpyrrolidone/2-acrylamide/2-methylpropanesulfonic acid copolymer (molar ratio, 75:25)
  • N-Vinyloxazolidone/N-(2-hydroxyethyl)acrylamide copolymer (molar ratio, 70:30)
  • N-Vinyl pyrrolidone/dimethyl acrylamide copolymer (molar ratio, 70:30).
  • These polymers may be incorporated in silver halide emulsion layers or in non-light-sensitive layers in the light-sensitive material of the present invention, and it is particularly preferable to incorporate them in silver halide emulsion layers.
  • polymers may be incorporated in the light-sensitive material by standard methods which are employed for incorporating additives for photographic emulsions.
  • the polymers may be added as solutions in suitable solvents (e.g., water, aqueous alkaline solutions or methanol) that will not cause any deleterious effects on the light-sensitive material as the final product.
  • suitable solvents e.g., water, aqueous alkaline solutions or methanol
  • the time of addition may be prior to, or after or during chemical sensitization of silver halide.
  • the polymers may be added to silver halide after they have been incorporated in dispersions of couplers, etc. prepared or under preparation. If desired, the polymers may be added to coating solutions while they are being prepared.
  • the light-sensitive silver halide emulsion used in the silver halide photographic material of the present invention may contain any of the silver halides that are used in ordinary silver halide emulsions, such as silver bromide, silver iodobromide, silver iodochloride, silver chlorobromide, silver chloroiodobromide and silver chloride. It is particularly preferable to employ silver iodobromide or silver chloroiodobromide containing at least 0.5 mol % of silver iodide.
  • the grains of these light-sensitive silver halides may have a uniform distribution in silver halide composition but they are preferably core/shell grains having different silver halide compositions in the interior and the surface layer.
  • core/shell type silver halide grains that are preferably used in the present invention may be found in Japanese Patent Application (OPI) No. 154232/1982.
  • These grains have a core composed of a silver halide containing 0.1-40 mol %, preferably 5-40 mol %, most preferably 8-35 mol %, of silver iodide, with the shell being made of silver bromide, silver chloride, silver iodide, silver chlorobromide or a mixture thereof.
  • These core/shell type silver halide grains have at least 0.5 mol % of silver iodide in their average silver halide composition.
  • Particularly desirable silver halide grains are those which have a shell containing at least 95 mol % of silver bromide. More specifically, silver halide grains containing silver iodide are used as cores and these cores are provided with a shell whose thickness is strictly controlled in such a way as to ensure that only the preferred characteristics of the cores are effectively exhibited while their unwanted behavior is masked.
  • the method of coating the cores with a shell having the necessary and minimum absolute thickness for having them exhibit their nature in an effective way is highly advantageous in that it can be applied to other purposes including improvement in keeping quality or in the efficiency of sensitizing dye adsorption by changing the material of the core or the shell.
  • a silver halide emulsion containing core/shell type silver halide grains that are preferably used in the present invention may be prepared by coating a shell on the cores that are made of silver halide grains present in a monodispersed emulsion.
  • Monodispersed core grains can be obtained in a desired size by performing the double-jet method with the pAg being held constant.
  • a highly monodispersed silver halide emulsion can be prepared by the method described in Japanese Patent Application (OPI) No. 48521/1979.
  • an aqueous solution of potassium silver iodide and gelatin and an aqueous solution of ammoniacal silver nitrate are added to an aqueous gelatin solution containing silver halide seed grains, with the rate of their addition being changed as a function of time.
  • factors including the time function of addition rate, pH, pAg and temperature a desired highly monodisperse silver halide emulsion can be obtained.
  • the core grains preferably have a monodispersity of no more than 20% in terms of the spread of grain size distribution as defined above, with 10% or less spread being more preferred.
  • the shell coating to be formed on the core grains should not be thick enough to mask the preferred characteristics of the core but on the other hand, it must be thick enough to mask any unwanted nature of the core.
  • the thickness of the shell coating is preferably within a narrow range that is defined by these upper and lower limits. A shell coating that satisfies this requirement can be deposited on monodispersed core grains by performing the double-jet method using a solution of a soluble halide compound and a solution of a soluble silver salt. If the shell coating formed is too thin, the silver iodide-containing substrate of the core will become exposed in several areas and the effects to be attained by coating a shell on the core grains, including chemical sensitization, rapid developability and fixability, will not be obtained.
  • the preferred lower limit of shell thickness is 0.01 ⁇ m. With highly monodispersed core grains having a distribution spread of no more than 10%, a preferred shell thickness is in the range of 0.01-0.4 ⁇ m, and the most preferred range is from 0.01 to 0.2 ⁇ m.
  • Emulsions containing these silver halide grains may additionally contain antifoggants and stabilizers.
  • the use of mercapto group containing heterocyclic compounds or hydroxypolyazaindenes is particularly effective.
  • Silver halide emulsions may be chemically sensitized with suitable sensitizers including activated gelatin, sulfur sensitizers, selenium sensitizers, reduction sensitizers and noble metal sensitizers. If desired, the emulsions may be spectrally sensitized by addition of suitable sensitizing dyes in order to impart sensitivity in desired wavelength ranges of sensitivity.
  • suitable sensitizers including activated gelatin, sulfur sensitizers, selenium sensitizers, reduction sensitizers and noble metal sensitizers.
  • the emulsions may be spectrally sensitized by addition of suitable sensitizing dyes in order to impart sensitivity in desired wavelength ranges of sensitivity.
  • the concept of the present invention is advantageously applied to a silver halide color photographic material having photographic constituent layers including a blue-sensitive, a green-sensitive and a red-sensitive emulsion layer on a support.
  • the total thickness of the photographic constituent layers on a dry basis is preferably not more than 18 ⁇ m, with the lower limit being determined by the type of silver halide emulsions, couplers, oils and other commonly employed additives. More preferably, the total thickness of the photographic constituent layers is in the range of 5-18 ⁇ m, with the range of 10-16 ⁇ m being most preferred.
  • the thickness of layers as measured from the top surface of the light-sensitive material to the bottom of the silver halide emulsion layer situated the closest to the support is preferably not more than 14 ⁇ m. More preferably, the thickness as measured to the bottom of a silver halide emulsion layer that has sensitivity to a different color of light than said bottommost emulsion layer and which is situated the second closest to the support is not greater than 10 ⁇ m.
  • the overall thickness of the color light-sensitive material of the present invention may be reduced by using a smaller amount of a hydrophilic colloid serving as a binder.
  • the amount of the hydrophilic colloid used can be decreased subject to the condition that the various purposes of its addition will not be impaired including the retention of silver halides and tiny oil globules such as couplers in high-boiling point solvents, the prevention of increase in fog due to mechanical stresses, and the prevention of color mixing due to the diffusion between layers of the oxidation product of a developing agent.
  • Another method that can be employed to reduce the overall thickness of the color-light sensitive material of the present invention is to use couplers capable of efficient color formation.
  • Other methods that are capable of reducing the overall thickness of the color light-sensitive material of the present invention include 1) using a decreased amount of a high-boiling point solvent and 2) reducing the thickness of intermediate layers between emulsion layers sensitive to different colors of light by incorporating a scavenger for the oxidation product of a developing agent in these intermediate layers.
  • the light-sensitive material of the present invention having the composition described above may be a color negative or positive film or a color paper.
  • the intended effect of the present invention will be fully exhibited when it is applied to a picture-taking color negative film.
  • the silver halide photographic materials of the present invention which are illustrated by color films are principally intended for use in multi-color silver halide photography involving color reproduction by the substractive process.
  • they comprise silver halide emulsion layers and non-light-sensitive layers disposed in superposition on a support.
  • the silver halide emulsion layers contain magenta, yellow and cyan photographic couplers.
  • the number of the photographic constituent layers and the order in which they are arranged are in no way limited and may be suitably modified in accordance with the intended performance and object of the finally prepared light-sensitive material.
  • any known photographic couplers may be employed but from the viewpoint of the color forming ability of couplers and the color reproduction of color-forming dyes, the use of benzoyl-type yellow, couplers, pyrazoloazole-type magenta couplers, as well as naphtholic or ureidophenolic cyan couplers is preferred.
  • Preferred benzoyl-type yellow couplers are the compounds that are represented by the following general formula (YB-I): ##STR5## where R 1 , R 2 and R 3 which may be the same or different each represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, an alkyl group, an aryl group, an alkoxy group, an acylamino group, a carbamoyl group, an alkoxycarbonyl group, a sulfonamido group or a sulfamoyl group; R 4 , R 5 , R 6 and R 7 which may be the same or different each represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, an alkoxy group, an aryloxy group, an acylamino group or a sulfonamido group; W is a halogen atom, an alkyl group, an alkoxy group, an aryloxy group or a dialkylamino group; and X 1 is a hydrogen atom or a
  • Magenta couplers that are preferably used in the present invention are represented by the following general formula (M-I): ##STR33## where Z signifies the non-metallic atomic group necessary to form a nitrogenous heterocyclic ring, with the ring formed by Z optionally having a substituent; X is a hydrogen atom or a group that can be eliminated upon reaction with the oxidation product of a color developing agent; and R is a hydrogen atom or a substituent:
  • R The substituents denoted by R are in no way limited but may be exemplified by alkyl, aryl, anilino, acylamino, sulfonamido, alkylthio, arylthio, alkenyl, cycloalkyl, etc.
  • halogen atom groups such as cycloalkenyl, alkynyl, heterocyclic ring, sulfonyl, sulfinyl, phosphonyl, acyl, carbamoyl, sulfamoyl, cyano, alkoxy, aryloxy, heterocyclic oxy, siloxy, acyloxy, carbamoyloxy, amino, alkylamino, imido, ureido, sulfamoylamino, alkoxycarbonylamino, aryloxycarbonylamino, alkoxycarbonyl, aryloxycarbonyl and heterocyclic thio; and residues such as a spiro compound residue and a bridged hydrocarbon compound residue.
  • the alkyl group denoted by R may be straight-chained or branched and it preferably has 1-32 carbon atoms.
  • the aryl group denoted by R is preferably a phenyl group
  • Examples of the acylamino group denoted by R include alkylcarbonylamino and arylcarbonylamino groups.
  • Examples of the sulfonamido group denoted by R include alkylsulfonylamino and arylsulfonylamino groups.
  • the alkyl and aryl portions of the alkylthio and arylthio groups denoted by R may be exemplified by the alkyl and aryl groups listed above as examples of R.
  • the alkenyl group denoted by R may be straight-chained or branched and it preferably has 2-32 carbon atoms.
  • the cycloalkyl group denoted by R preferably has 3-12 carbon atoms, with the presence of 5-7 carbon atoms being particularly preferred.
  • the cycloalkenyl group denoted by R preferably has 3-12 carbon atoms, more preferably 5-7 carbon atoms.
  • Examples of the sulfonyl group denoted by R include alkylsulfonyl and arylsulfonyl groups.
  • Examples of the sulfinyl groups denoted by R include alkylsulfinyl and arylsulfinyl groups.
  • Examples of the phosphonyl group denoted by R include alkylphosphonyl, alkoxyphosphonyl, aryloxyphosphonyl and arylphosphonyl groups.
  • Examples of the acyl group denoted by R include alkylcarbonyl and arylcarbonyl groups.
  • Examples of the carbamoyl group denoted by R include alkylcarbamoyl and arylcarbamoyl groups.
  • Examples of the sulfamoyl group denoted by R include alkylsulfamoyl and arylsulfamoyl groups.
  • Examples of the acyloxy group denoted by R include alkylcarbonyloxy and arylcarbonyloxy groups.
  • Examples of the carbamoyloxy group denoted by R include alkylcarbamoyloxy and arylcarbamoyloxy groups.
  • Examples of the ureido group denoted by R include alkylureido and arylureido groups.
  • Examples of the sulfamoylamino group denoted by R include alkylsulfamoylamino and arylsulfamoylamino groups.
  • the heterocyclic group denoted by R is preferably 5- to 7-membered and may be illustrated by 2-furyl, 2-thienyl, 2-pyrimidinyl and 2-benzothiazolyl groups.
  • the heterocyclic oxy group denoted by R preferably has a 5- to 7-membered heterocyclic ring and may be exemplified by 3,4,5,6-tetrahydropyranyl-2-oxy and 1-phenyltetrazol-5-oxy group.
  • the heterocyclic thio group denoted by R is preferably 5- to 7-membered ring and may be exemplified by 2-pyridylthio, 2-benzothiazolylthio, 2,4-diphenoxy-1,3,5-triazol-6-thio groups.
  • Examples of the siloxy group denoted by R include trimethylsiloxy, triethylsiloxy and dimethylbutylsiloxy groups.
  • Examples of the imido group denoted by R include succinimido, 3-heptadecylsuccinimido, phthalimido and glutarimido groups.
  • An example of the spiro compound residue denoted by R is spiro[3,3]-heptan-1-yl.
  • Examples of the bridged hydrocarbon compound residue denoted by R include bicyclo[2,2,1]heptan-1-yl, tricyclo[3,3,1,1 3 ,7 ]-decan-1-yl and 7,7-dimethyl-bicyclo[2,2,1]heptan-1-yl.
  • Examples of the group denoted by X which can be eliminated upon reaction with the oxidation product of a color developing agent include: a halogen atom (e.g., chlorine, bromine or fluorine atoms) and groups such as alkoxy, aryloxy, heterocyclic oxy, acyloxy, sulfonyloxy, alkoxycarbonyloxy, aryloxycarbonyl, alkyloxyalyloxy, alkoxyoxalyloxy, alkylthio, arylthio, heterocyclic thio, alkyloxythiocarbonylthio, acylamino, sulfonamido, a nitrogenous heterocyclic ring bound with a nitrogen atom, alkyloxycarbonylamino, aryloxycarbonylamino, carboxyl, and the group represented by the following formula: ##STR34## (where R' 1 is the same as defined for R; Z' is the same as defined for Z; R' 2 and R' 3
  • Examples of the nitrogenous heterocyclic ring formed by Z or Z' include pyrazole, imidazole, triazole and tetrazole rings; these rings may have any of the substituents mentioned above in connection with R.
  • magenta couplers represented by the general formula (M-I) are more specifically represented by the following general formulas (M-II) to (M-VII): ##STR35##
  • R 1 to R 8 and X have the same meanings as R and X in the general formula (M-I).
  • M-I The most preferred compound of the general formula (M-I) is represented by the following general formula (M-VIII): ##STR36## where R 1 , X and Z 1 have the same meanings as R, X and Z in the general formula (M-I).
  • magenta couplers represented by the general formulas (M-II) to (M-VII) the one represented by the general formula (M-II) is particularly preferred.
  • R 9 have the same meaning as R in the general formula (M-I).
  • R 9 is preferably a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group.
  • magenta couplers that may be employed in the present invention are shown specifically below. ##STR37##
  • magenta couplers suitable for use in the present invention may be selected from among Compound Nos. 1-4, 6, 8-17, 19-43, 45-59, 61-104, 106-121, 123-162 and 164-223 listed on pages 66 to 122 of the specification of Japanese Patent Application (OPI) No. 166339/1987.
  • magenta couplers described above can be synthesized with reference to Journal of the chemical Society, Perkin I, 1977, 2047-2052 and prior patents including U.S. Pat. No. 3,725,067, and Japanese Patent application (OPI) Nos. 99437/1984, 42045/1983, 162548/1984, 171956/1984, 33552/1985, 43659/1985, 172982/1985 and 190779/1985.
  • magenta couplers are normally used in amounts ranging from 1 ⁇ 10 -3 to 1 mole, preferably from 5 ⁇ 10 -3 to 8 ⁇ 10 -1 moles, per mole of silver halide.
  • magenta couplers described above may be employed in combination with other kinds of magenta couplers.
  • the naphtholic cyan couplers that are preferably used in the present invention are represented by the following general formula (CN): ##STR38## where R 1 is --CONR 4 R 5 , --NHCOR 4 , --NHCOOR 6 , --NHSO 2 R 6 , --1NHCONR 4 R 5 or --NHSO 2 NR 4 R 5 ; R 2 is a monovalent group; R 3 is a substituent; X is a hydrogen atom or a group that is eliminated upon reaction with the oxidation product of an aromatic primary amino developing agent; l is 0 or 1; m is an integer of 0-3; R 4 and R 5 each represents a hydrogen atom, an aromatic group, an aliphatic group or a heterocyclic group; R 6 is an aromatic group, an aliphatic group or a heterocyclic group; when m is 2 or 3, R 3 may be the same or different and may combine with each other to form a ring; R 4 and R 5 , R 2 and R 3 or R 2 and X
  • R 6 are aliphatic groups having 1-30 carbon atoms, aromatic groups having 6-30 carbon atoms and heterocyclic groups having 1-30 carbon atoms.
  • Preferred examples of R 4 and R 5 include a hydrogen atom and the groups mentioned above as preferred examples of R 6 .
  • R 2 include a hydrogen atom, aliphatic groups having 1-30 carbon atoms, aromatic groups having 6-30 carbon atoms, heterocyclic groups having 1-30 carbon atoms, --OR 8 , --COR 8 , ##STR39## --CO 2 R 10 , --SO 2 R 10 and --SO 2 OR 10 (where R 8 , R 9 and R 10 are the same as defined for R 4 , R 5 and R 6 , respectively, and R 8 and R 9 may combine to form a hetero cyclic ring), these groups being bound to NH either directly or indirectly via NH, CO or SO 2 .
  • R 7 is an aromatic group having 6-30 carbon atoms.
  • Typical substituents on R 7 include: a halogen atom, a hydroxyl group, an amino group, a carboxyl group, a sulfonic acid group, a cyano group, an aromatic group, a hetero group, a carbonamido group, a sulfonamido group, a carbamoyl group, a sulfamoyl group, a ureido group, an acyl group, an acyloxy group, an aliphatic oxy group, an aromatic oxy group, an aliphatic thio group, an aromatic thio group, an aliphatic sulfonyl group, an aromatic sulfonyl group, a sulfamoylamino group, a nitro group, an imido group, an aliphatic group, and an aliphatic oxycarbonyl group.
  • R 7 has more than one substituent
  • R 3 include: a halogen atom, a hydroxyl group, an amino group, a carboxyl group, a sulfonic acid group, a cyano group, an aromatic group, a heterocyclic group, a carbonamido group, a sulfonamido group, a carbamoyl group, a sulfamoyl group, a ureido group, an acyl group, an acyloxy group, an aliphatic oxy group, an aromatic oxy group, an aliphatic thio group, an aromatic thio group, an aliphatic sulfonyl group, an aromatic sulfonyl group, a sulfamoylamino group, a nitro group and an imido group.
  • the number of carbon atoms present in R 3 preferably ranges from 0 to 30.
  • R 1 is --CONR 4 R 5
  • m is preferably 0, with R 2 being preferably selected from among --COR 8 , --COOR 10 , --SO 2 R 10 , --CONR 8 R 9 and --SO 2 NR 8 R 9 which are bound directly to NH.
  • --COOR 10 , --COR 8 and --SO 2 R 10 which are bound directly to NH are particularly preferred, with --COOR 10 being most preferred. Dimers and higher oligomers formed through R 1 to R 3 and X are also included within the scope of the present invention.
  • Non-limiting typical examples of the cyan couplers represented by the general formula (CN) are listed below: ##STR40##
  • the ureidophenolic cyan couplers that are preferably used in the present invention are preferably represented by the following general formula (CU): ##STR41## where X is a hydrogen atom or a group that can be eliminated upon coupling with an aromatic primary amino color developing agent; R 1 is an aryl group or a heterocyclic group; R 2 is an aliphatic group or an aryl group; each of the groups denoted by R 1 and R 2 may have a substituent and may form a dimer or higher oligomers; R 1 and R 2 , taken either independently or in combination, have the shape or size necessary to impart non-diffusing property to the coupler represented by the general formula (CU) or a dye formed of said coupler.
  • CU general formula
  • aryl group denoted by R 1 or R 2 examples are phenyl and naphthyl groups.
  • Illustrative substituents on the group denoted by R 1 or R 2 include nitro, cyano, halogen, alkyl, aryl, amino, hydroxy, acyl, alkoxycarbonyl, aryloxy-carbonyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, alkoxysulfonyl, aryloxysulfonyl, carbamoyl, sulfamoyl, acyloxy, carbonamido, and sulfonamido.
  • the number of substituents present is preferably 1-5. If more than one substituent is present, the substituents may be the same or different.
  • R 1 Preferred substituents on R 1 are alkylsulfonyl, cyano and halogen.
  • a preferred substituent on R 2 is represented by the following general formula (CU-II): ##STR42## where J is an oxygen or sulfur atom; k is an integer of 0-4; l is 0 or 1; when k is 2 or more, R 4 may be the same or different; R 3 is an alkylene group; and R 4 is a substituent.
  • R 4 examples include alkyl, aryl, alkoxy, aryloxy, hydroxy, acyloxy, arylcarbonyloxy, carboxy, alkoxycarbonyl, aryloxycarbonyl, alkylthio, acyl, acylamino, sulfonamido, carbamoyl and sulfamoyl.
  • Examples of the leaving group denoted by X include groups, such as an aryloxy group, a carbamoyloxy group, a carbamoylmethoxy group, an acyloxy group, a sulfonamido group and a succinimido group, that have a halogen, an oxygen or nitrogen atom bonded directly to the coupling site. More specific examples of the leaving group are des-cribed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,741,563, Japanese Patent Application (OPI) No. 37425/1972, Japanese Patent Publication No. 36894/1973, Japanese Patent application (OPI) Nos. 10135/1975, 117422/1975, 130441/1975, 108841/1976, 120334/1975, 18315/1977, 105226/1978, etc.
  • groups such as an aryloxy group, a carbamoyloxy group, a carbamoylmethoxy group, an acyloxy group, a sulfonamido group and
  • ureidophenolic coupler are described in Japanese Patent Application (OPI) No. 65134/1981, 204543/1982, 204544/1982, 204545/1982, 33249/1983, 33253/1983, 98731/1983, 118643/1983, 179838/1983, 187928/1983, 65844/1984, 71051/1984, 86048/1984, 105644/1984, 111643/1984, 111644/1984, 131939/1984, 165058/1984, 177558/1984, 180559/1984, 198455/1984, 35731/1985, 37557/1985, 49335/1985, 49336/1985, 50533/1985, 91355/1985, 107649/1985, 107650/1985, 2757/1986, etc.
  • the couplers to be used in the present invention can be incorporated in the light-sensitive material by various methods depending upon the physical properties (e.g., solubility) of the couplers; typical methods that can be employed include a water-in-oil type emulsion dispersing method which employs a water-insoluble high-boiling point organic solvent, an alkali dispersing method in which the couplers are added as alkaline solutions, a latex dispersing method, and a solid dispersing method in which the couplers are directly added as fine solid particles.
  • the silver halide photographic material of the present invention is capable of forming image by being subjected to various color development processes as in the processing of ordinary silver halide photographic materials.
  • a silver halide photographic material incorporating the polymer defined herein is capable of suppressing fogging that will otherwise occur in ordinary color development.
  • a particular advantage of this photographic material is that it is capable of appreciable reduction in the increase of fogging which will otherwise occur in rapid color development (on account of the use of an increased amount of color developing agent or processing at increased pH and temperature).
  • this photographic material will experience a smaller degree of desensitization and reduction in gradation than when ordinary fog restrainers are used.
  • the photographic material of the present invention will produce an image having improved sharpness and granularity.
  • the amounts of sensitizing dyes and couplers added to silver halide photographic materials in the following examples are based on one mole of silver halide. Unless otherwise noted, the amounts of addition of other additives are based on one square meter. The amounts of silver halides and colloidal silver are shown in terms of silver.
  • Sample Nos. 2-12 were prepared in the same manner as described above except that the emulsion and the yellow coupler were replaced by those shown in Table 1 below and that polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) or a restrainer (Z-I or Z-II) was added.
  • PVP polyvinylpyrrolidone
  • Z-I or Z-II a restrainer
  • Sample Nos 1-12 thus prepared were exposed to white light through an optical wedge and subsequently processed according to scheme (A).
  • the processing solutions employed in this processing had the following formulations.
  • the dye images formed on the processed samples were measured under illumination with blue light.
  • the measured values of minimum density (Dmin) and relative sensitivity (with the sensitivity of sample No. 1 being taken as 100) are shown in Table 2.
  • the samples prepared in accordance with the present invention had the advantages of the absence of desensitization and low fogging. It is particularly interesting to note that these samples experienced an appreciably low degree of increase in fogging.
  • Samples Nos. 22-26 were prepared in the same way as described above except that polyvinylpyrrolidone (for its molecular weight, see Table 3) was incorporated in an amount of 0.5 g per mole of silver in selected emulsion layers (layers 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 and 12).
  • Sample Nos. 27-30 were prepared in the same way except that the magenta and cyan couplers in sample Nos. 22-26 were replaced by those shown in Table 3.
  • Sample Nos. 21-30 thus prepared were exposed to white light through an optical wedge and subsequently processed in accordance with scheme A, B or rapid scheme C which was the same as B except that the time of bleaching step was shortened from 6 minutes and 30 seconds to 3 minutes and 15 seconds.
  • the processed samples were subjected to density measurements under illumination with blue, green or red light and the minimum density (Dmin) and relative sensitivity (with the value for sample No. 21 being taken as 100) were determined. The results are shown in Table 4.
  • Sensitizing dye I Anhydro-5,5'-dichloro-9-ethyl-3,3'-di-(3-sulfopropyl)thiacarbocyanine hydroxide
  • Sensitizing dye II Anhydro-9-ethyl-3,3-di-(3-sulfopropyl)-4,5,4',5'-dibenzothiacarbocyanine hydroxide
  • Sensitizing dye III Anhydro-5,5'-diphenyl-9-ethyl-3,3'-di-(3-sulfopropyl)oxycarbocyanine hydroxide
  • Sensitizing dye IV Anhydro-9-ethyl-3,3'-di-(3-sulfopropyl)-5,6,5',6'-dibenzoxacarbocyanine hydroxide
  • Sensitizing dye V Anhydro-3,3'-di-(3-sulfopropyl)-4,5-benzo-5'-methoxythiacyanine anhydroxide ##STR45##
  • a gelatin hardener (H-1) or (H-2) and a surfactant were incorporated in the individual layers.
  • the compounds incorporated in the layers of sample No. 31 were the same as those employed in Example 2.
  • Sample Nos. 31-41 thus prepared were exposed to white light through an optical wedge and subsequently processed as in Example according to scheme A or B.
  • the minimum density (Dmin) of the image produced in each sample was measured after processing by both schemes and the difference was determined. The results are shown in Table 5.
  • Sharpness measurement was conducted in the following way: rectangular wave patterns were exposed onto a sample film and the exposed film was then measured for a density profile with a Sakura Microdensitometer Model PDM-5 (Type AR, Konica Corp.) using a slit that measured 300 ⁇ m long and 2 ⁇ m wide; the resolving power of the sample film was expressed as the percentage of input modulation to determine its MTF (modulation transfer function); the results were shown as relative values of MTF at a spatial frequency of 30 lines per millimeter (with the value for sample No. 31 being taken as 100).
  • MTF modulation transfer function
  • RMS granularity is 1000 times the standard deviation of density fluctuations which occurred when a sample having a density of Dmin+0.7 was traced with a microdensitometer having a scanning aperture's area of 250 ⁇ m 2 .
  • sample Nos. 36-41 prepared in accordance with the present invention experienced a small increase in minimum density during rapid processing as compared with sample Nos. 31-35 and they were characterized by improvement in both sharpness and granularity.
  • a gelatin hardener (H-1) or (H-2) and a surfactant were incorporated in the individual layers.
  • the compounds incorporated in the layers of sample No. 51 were the same as those employed in Example 2.
  • Additional sample Nos. 52-57 were prepared in the same way as described above except that the dry thickness of selected layers were charged as shown in Table 6 and that polymers within the scope of the present invention were incorporated in the amounts shown in Table 6.
  • the compositions of the individual layers in sample Nos. 52-57 were the same as those in sample No. 51 except that polymers within the scope of the present invention were incorporated in the 10th layer.
  • the film thickness of each layer was adjusted by changing the coating weight of gelatin.
  • the layers not mentioned in Table 6 had the same thicknesses as those employed in sample Nos. 51.
  • Sample Nos. 51-57 thus prepared were exposed to white light through an optical wedge and subsequently processed as in Example 1 according to scheme A or B.
  • the minimum density (Dmin) of the image produced in each sample was measured after processing by both schemes and the difference was determined. The results are shown in Table 6.
  • Example 3 the minimum density of image on each of Sample Nos. 51-57 which were outside the scope of the present invention had a tendency to increase with the decreasing film thickness when they were subjected to rapid processing, and, also, deterioration of granularity was detectable in these samples. With the constitution of the present invention, both the minimum density and the granularity were improved.

Landscapes

  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Spectroscopy & Molecular Physics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Silver Salt Photography Or Processing Solution Therefor (AREA)

Abstract

A silver halide photographic material that contains a polymer including a repeating unit represented by the following general formula (I) and having a weight average molecular weight of no more than 30,000: ##STR1## wherein R1 is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group; Z represents the atomic group necessary to form a lactam ring, an oxazolidone ring or a pyrrolidone ring; A is a simple linkage, --CO--, --COO(CH2)n or --CONR2 (CH2)n where R2 is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group, and n is an integer of 1-6. This photographic material experiences a minimum level of increase in fogging during rapid processing and produces image having improved sharpness and granularity.

Description

This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/236,512, filed Aug. 24, 1988, now abandoned.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a silver halide photographic material. More particularly, the present invention relates to a silver halide color photographic material that is adapted for rapid processing without experiencing increased fogging and which is capable of producing an image having improved sharpness and granularity.
With the recent tendency in the photographic industry toward adoption of smaller formats of silver halide color photographic materials (hereinafter referred to simply as color light-sensitive materials), there has been an increasing need for attaining high image quality in terms of such aspects as granularity and sharpness on the one hand, and for realizing rapid processing on the other hand. Color light-sensitive materials are normally processed on a running basis with automatic developers that are installed at photofinishing laboratories. However, the desire of users for having their pictures developed as soon as possible is constantly growing and most modern laboratories have facilities for developing negative films and returning the developed films to users on the day they received the negatives. Some laboratories are even capable of returning the finished films within several hours from the time they were received.
Various studies have been conducted to realize rapid photographic processing. With a view to shortening the duration of a color development step, it has been proposed that the concentration of a color developing agent should be increased, or the pH of a color developer be increased, or the temperature of the color developer be increased. An attempt has also been made to reduce the overall thickness of photographic constituent layers in order to improve the permeability of processing solutions and to provide better sharpness. However, these methods suffer the disadvantage that they cause a noticeable increase in fogging and, in particular, if they are applied to color negatives of high sensitivity, they cause various problems including prolonged print time subsequent to photographic processing, loss of color balance, and deterioration of granularity.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object, therefore, of the present invention is to provide a silver halide photographic material that is protected against fogging and which is adapted for rapid processing, in particular, for rapid color development while experiencing a minimal level of increase in fogging.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a silver halide photographic material that is capable of producing image having improved sharpness and granularity.
These objects of the present invention can be attained by a silver halide photographic material that contains a polymer including a repeating unit represented by the following general formula (1) and having a weight average molecular weight of no more than 30,000: ##STR2## where R1 is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group; Z represents the atomic group necessary to form a lactam ring, an oxazolidone ring or a pyrrolidone ring; A is a simple linkage, --CO--, --COO( CH2)2 or --CONR2 (CH2)n where R2 is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group, and n is an integer of 1-6.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Polymers including a repeating unit represented by the general formula (I) have conventionally been used as substitutes for binders such as gelatin. Japanese Patent Application (OPI) No. 136641/1982 (the term OPI as used herein means an unexamined published Japanese Patent Application) discloses a technique for increasing the reversal sensitivity of an internal latent image forming direct positive emulsion by chemically sensitizing the surface of emulsion grains in the presence of said polymers. Japanese Patent Publication No. 51259/1972 discloses the use of these polymers in combination with a hydroxyl containing black-and-white developing agent (or derivative thereof) so as to improve the granularity of a color light-sensitive material of interest while inhibiting the occurrence of color fogging.
However, most of the polymers employed in these prior art techniques range from several tens to hundreds of thousand in weight average molecular weight and it was entirely unexpected that polymers as defined herein and which have weight average molecular weights of no more than 30,000 would be capable of attaining the above-described effects peculiar to the present invention.
The polymer including a repeating unit represented by the general formula (I) and which is to be used in the present invention (this polymer is hereinafter referred to as the polymer of the present invention) has a weight average molecular weight of no more than 30,000, preferably no more than 20,000, with 10,000 or below being particularly preferred. The weight average molecular weight of the polymer of the present invention is a polyethylene glycol adjusted value as determined from the curve constructed by performing GPC (gel permeation chromatography) using TSK-GEL Toyopal (Tosoh Corp.) as a column packing material.
The intended effect of the present invention can be attained by using the polymer of the present invention in smaller amounts that are necessary when it is used as a protective colloid or a binder. Normally, the polymer is used in an amount of 0.01-10 g per mole of silver in terms of the weight of the repeating unit (I) in the polymer, and the range of 0.02-5.0 g is preferred, with the range of 0.1-2.0 g being particularly preferred.
Besides the polymer of the present invention which has a weight average molecular weight of no more than 30,000, the silver halide photographic material of the present invention may contain polymers of higher molecular weights that are outside the scope of the present invention, and the inclusion of such additional polymers will do no harm to the objective of the present invention.
The polymer of the present invention is described below in greater detail. This polymer has a repeating unit represented by the general formula (I). A preferred example of this repeating unit is such that R1 is a hydrogen atom, A is a simple linkage or ##STR3## and Z represents the atomic group necessary to form a five- or six-membered lactam or oxazolidone ring. A particularly preferred case is where ##STR4## represents a pyrrolidone or oxazolidone residue, and the most preferred case is where said group is a pyrrolidone residue.
The polymer having a repeating unit represented by the general formula (I) may be a homopolymer or a copolymer. In other words, this polymer may be a homopolymer of a monomer represented by the general formula (I), or a copolymer of two or more monomers represented by the general formula (I), or a polymer prepared by copolymerizing one or more of such monomers with an addition-polymerizable ethylenically unsaturated compound.
Examples of the addition-polymerizable ethylenically unsaturated compound that is capable of forming a copolymer together with the monomer of the general formula (I) include: acrylate esters, methacrylate esters, acrylamides, methacrylamides, allyl compounds, vinyl ethers, vinyl esters, vinyl heterocyclic compounds, styrenes, maleate esters, fumarate esters, itaconate esters, crotonate esters and olefins. From the viewpoint of the hydrophilicity of the polymers produced, the following comonomers are preferred: acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate, 2-methoxyethyl acrylate, sulfopropyl acrylate, acrylamide, dimethyl acrylamide, 2-acryloylamino-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid, hydroxyethyl acrylamide, methacrylamide, methyl vinyl ether, sodium styrenesulfonate, N-vinyl-3,5-dimethyltriazole, and maleic anhydride.
The compositional range of the polymer containing a repeating unit represented by the general formula (I) is not limited in any particular way but preferably the component represented by the general formula (I) accounts for 10-100 mol %, more preferably 50-100 mol %, of the polymer.
Homopolymers or copolymers having a repeating unit represented by the general formula (I) may be synthesized by known methods such as those described in British Patent Nos. 961,395, 1,211,039, Japanese Patent Publication No. 29195/1972, Japanese Patent Application (OPI) Nos. 76593/1973, 92022/1973, 21134/1974, 120634/1974, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,227,672, 3,290,417, 3,262,919, 3,245,932, 2,681,897, 3,230,275, John C. Petropoulos et al., Official Digest, 33, pp. 719-736 (1961), and "Gosei Kobunshi (Synthetic Polymers)", ed. by S. Murahashi, Vol. 1, pp. 246-290, and vol. 3, pp. 1-108.
Typical examples of the polymer of the present invention are listed below:
(1) Poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone)
(2) Poly(N-vinyloxazolidone)
(3) Poly(N-vinylpiperidone)
(4) Poly(N-vinyl-ε-caprolactam)
(5) Vinyl alcohol/N-vinylpyrrolidone copolymer (molar ratio, 20:80)
(6) N-Vinylpyrrolidone/vinyl acetate copolymer (molar ratio, 70:30)
(7) N-Vinylpyrrolidone/2-hydroxyethyl acrylate copolymer (molar ratio, 70:30)
(8) N-Vinylpyrrolidone/acrylic acid copolymer molar ratio, 90:10)
(9) N-Vinylpyrrolidone/N-vinyl-3,5-dimethyltriazole copolymer (molar ratio, 50:50)
(10) N-Vinyloxazolidone/vinyl alcohol copolymer (molar ratio, 65:35)
(11) N-Vinyloxazolidone/acrylic acid copolymer (molar ratio, 80:20)
(12) N-Vinylpyrrolidone/2-hydroxyethyl acrylate/vinyl acetate terpolymer (molar ratio, 70:20:10)
(13) N-Vinylpyrrolidone/vinyl alcohol/vinyl propionate/sodium styrenesulfonate copolymer (molar ratio, 40:40:5:15)
(14) N-Vinylpyrrolidone/acrylamide copolymer (molar ratio, 60:40)
(15) N-Vinylpyrrolidone/2-acrylamide/2-methylpropanesulfonic acid copolymer (molar ratio, 75:25)
(16) N-Vinyloxazolidone/N-(2-hydroxyethyl)acrylamide copolymer (molar ratio, 70:30)
(17) N-Vinylpyrrolidone/N-vinylmorpholine/acrylamide terpolymer (molar ratio, 50:20:30)
(18) N-Vinyloxazolidone/acrylamide/acrylic acid terpolymer (molar ratio, 60:20:20)
(19) N-Vinylpyrrolidone/acrylamide/vinyl acetate/acrylic acid copolymer (molar ratio, 60:20:10:10)
(20) N-Vinyl pyrrolidone/dimethyl acrylamide copolymer (molar ratio, 70:30).
These polymers may be incorporated in silver halide emulsion layers or in non-light-sensitive layers in the light-sensitive material of the present invention, and it is particularly preferable to incorporate them in silver halide emulsion layers.
These polymers may be incorporated in the light-sensitive material by standard methods which are employed for incorporating additives for photographic emulsions. For instance, the polymers may be added as solutions in suitable solvents (e.g., water, aqueous alkaline solutions or methanol) that will not cause any deleterious effects on the light-sensitive material as the final product. If the polymers are to be incorporated in emulsions, the time of addition may be prior to, or after or during chemical sensitization of silver halide. The polymers may be added to silver halide after they have been incorporated in dispersions of couplers, etc. prepared or under preparation. If desired, the polymers may be added to coating solutions while they are being prepared.
The light-sensitive silver halide emulsion used in the silver halide photographic material of the present invention may contain any of the silver halides that are used in ordinary silver halide emulsions, such as silver bromide, silver iodobromide, silver iodochloride, silver chlorobromide, silver chloroiodobromide and silver chloride. It is particularly preferable to employ silver iodobromide or silver chloroiodobromide containing at least 0.5 mol % of silver iodide.
The grains of these light-sensitive silver halides may have a uniform distribution in silver halide composition but they are preferably core/shell grains having different silver halide compositions in the interior and the surface layer. Detailed information about the core/shell type silver halide grains that are preferably used in the present invention may be found in Japanese Patent Application (OPI) No. 154232/1982. These grains have a core composed of a silver halide containing 0.1-40 mol %, preferably 5-40 mol %, most preferably 8-35 mol %, of silver iodide, with the shell being made of silver bromide, silver chloride, silver iodide, silver chlorobromide or a mixture thereof. These core/shell type silver halide grains have at least 0.5 mol % of silver iodide in their average silver halide composition.
Particularly desirable silver halide grains are those which have a shell containing at least 95 mol % of silver bromide. More specifically, silver halide grains containing silver iodide are used as cores and these cores are provided with a shell whose thickness is strictly controlled in such a way as to ensure that only the preferred characteristics of the cores are effectively exhibited while their unwanted behavior is masked. The method of coating the cores with a shell having the necessary and minimum absolute thickness for having them exhibit their nature in an effective way is highly advantageous in that it can be applied to other purposes including improvement in keeping quality or in the efficiency of sensitizing dye adsorption by changing the material of the core or the shell.
A silver halide emulsion containing core/shell type silver halide grains that are preferably used in the present invention may be prepared by coating a shell on the cores that are made of silver halide grains present in a monodispersed emulsion. Monodispersed core grains can be obtained in a desired size by performing the double-jet method with the pAg being held constant. A highly monodispersed silver halide emulsion can be prepared by the method described in Japanese Patent Application (OPI) No. 48521/1979. In a preferred case, an aqueous solution of potassium silver iodide and gelatin and an aqueous solution of ammoniacal silver nitrate are added to an aqueous gelatin solution containing silver halide seed grains, with the rate of their addition being changed as a function of time. By proper selection of factors including the time function of addition rate, pH, pAg and temperature, a desired highly monodisperse silver halide emulsion can be obtained.
The standard deviation of the grain size of a monodispersed emulsion can be readily determined since it provides an essentially normal grain size distribution. If the standard deviation is known, the percent spread of size distribution can be expressed by the following relation: ##EQU1## In order to ensure that the absolute thickness of a shell coating can be effectively controlled, the core grains preferably have a monodispersity of no more than 20% in terms of the spread of grain size distribution as defined above, with 10% or less spread being more preferred.
As already mentioned, the shell coating to be formed on the core grains should not be thick enough to mask the preferred characteristics of the core but on the other hand, it must be thick enough to mask any unwanted nature of the core. The thickness of the shell coating is preferably within a narrow range that is defined by these upper and lower limits. A shell coating that satisfies this requirement can be deposited on monodispersed core grains by performing the double-jet method using a solution of a soluble halide compound and a solution of a soluble silver salt. If the shell coating formed is too thin, the silver iodide-containing substrate of the core will become exposed in several areas and the effects to be attained by coating a shell on the core grains, including chemical sensitization, rapid developability and fixability, will not be obtained. The preferred lower limit of shell thickness is 0.01 μm. With highly monodispersed core grains having a distribution spread of no more than 10%, a preferred shell thickness is in the range of 0.01-0.4 μm, and the most preferred range is from 0.01 to 0.2 μm.
Emulsions containing these silver halide grains may additionally contain antifoggants and stabilizers. The use of mercapto group containing heterocyclic compounds or hydroxypolyazaindenes is particularly effective.
Silver halide emulsions may be chemically sensitized with suitable sensitizers including activated gelatin, sulfur sensitizers, selenium sensitizers, reduction sensitizers and noble metal sensitizers. If desired, the emulsions may be spectrally sensitized by addition of suitable sensitizing dyes in order to impart sensitivity in desired wavelength ranges of sensitivity.
The concept of the present invention is advantageously applied to a silver halide color photographic material having photographic constituent layers including a blue-sensitive, a green-sensitive and a red-sensitive emulsion layer on a support. In such a silver halide color photographic material, the total thickness of the photographic constituent layers on a dry basis is preferably not more than 18 μm, with the lower limit being determined by the type of silver halide emulsions, couplers, oils and other commonly employed additives. More preferably, the total thickness of the photographic constituent layers is in the range of 5-18 μm, with the range of 10-16 μm being most preferred. The thickness of layers as measured from the top surface of the light-sensitive material to the bottom of the silver halide emulsion layer situated the closest to the support is preferably not more than 14 μm. More preferably, the thickness as measured to the bottom of a silver halide emulsion layer that has sensitivity to a different color of light than said bottommost emulsion layer and which is situated the second closest to the support is not greater than 10 μm.
The overall thickness of the color light-sensitive material of the present invention may be reduced by using a smaller amount of a hydrophilic colloid serving as a binder. The amount of the hydrophilic colloid used can be decreased subject to the condition that the various purposes of its addition will not be impaired including the retention of silver halides and tiny oil globules such as couplers in high-boiling point solvents, the prevention of increase in fog due to mechanical stresses, and the prevention of color mixing due to the diffusion between layers of the oxidation product of a developing agent.
Another method that can be employed to reduce the overall thickness of the color-light sensitive material of the present invention is to use couplers capable of efficient color formation.
Other methods that are capable of reducing the overall thickness of the color light-sensitive material of the present invention include 1) using a decreased amount of a high-boiling point solvent and 2) reducing the thickness of intermediate layers between emulsion layers sensitive to different colors of light by incorporating a scavenger for the oxidation product of a developing agent in these intermediate layers.
The light-sensitive material of the present invention having the composition described above may be a color negative or positive film or a color paper. The intended effect of the present invention will be fully exhibited when it is applied to a picture-taking color negative film.
The silver halide photographic materials of the present invention which are illustrated by color films are principally intended for use in multi-color silver halide photography involving color reproduction by the substractive process. Typically, they comprise silver halide emulsion layers and non-light-sensitive layers disposed in superposition on a support. The silver halide emulsion layers contain magenta, yellow and cyan photographic couplers. The number of the photographic constituent layers and the order in which they are arranged are in no way limited and may be suitably modified in accordance with the intended performance and object of the finally prepared light-sensitive material. Any known photographic couplers may be employed but from the viewpoint of the color forming ability of couplers and the color reproduction of color-forming dyes, the use of benzoyl-type yellow, couplers, pyrazoloazole-type magenta couplers, as well as naphtholic or ureidophenolic cyan couplers is preferred.
Preferred benzoyl-type yellow couplers are the compounds that are represented by the following general formula (YB-I): ##STR5## where R1, R2 and R3 which may be the same or different each represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, an alkyl group, an aryl group, an alkoxy group, an acylamino group, a carbamoyl group, an alkoxycarbonyl group, a sulfonamido group or a sulfamoyl group; R4, R5, R6 and R7 which may be the same or different each represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, an alkoxy group, an aryloxy group, an acylamino group or a sulfonamido group; W is a halogen atom, an alkyl group, an alkoxy group, an aryloxy group or a dialkylamino group; and X1 is a hydrogen atom or a group that can be eliminated. Such a leaving group is preferably represented by the following general formula (YB-II): ##STR6## where Y1 denotes the non-metallic group necessary for forming a 5- or 6-membered ring.
The following are non-limiting examples of benzoyl-type yellow couplers.
__________________________________________________________________________
 ##STR7##                                                                 
Compound                                                                  
Example No.                                                               
       R.sup.1                                                            
          R.sup.2                                                         
             R.sup.3                                                      
                R.sup.4                                                   
                   R.sup.5                                                
                       R.sup.6                                            
                          R.sup.7                                         
                              W  X.sub.1                                  
__________________________________________________________________________
YB-1   H  H  (7)                                                          
                H  H   (4)                                                
                          H   (1)                                         
                                 (16)                                     
YB-2   H  H  (7)                                                          
                H  H   (4)                                                
                          H   (1)                                         
                                 (17)                                     
YB-3   H  H  (8)                                                          
                H  H   H  H   (1)                                         
                                 (18)                                     
YB-4   H  H  (8)                                                          
                H  H   H  H   (4)                                         
                                 (19)                                     
YB-5   H  H  (6)                                                          
                 (2)                                                      
                   H   H  H   (4)                                         
                                 (20)                                     
YB-6   H  H  (9)                                                          
                H  H   (4)                                                
                          H   (1)                                         
                                 (21)                                     
YB-7   H  H  (11)                                                         
                H  (10)                                                   
                       (4)                                                
                          H   (4)                                         
                                 (22)                                     
YB-8   H  H  H  H  H   H  (7) (4)                                         
                                 (23)                                     
YB-9   H  H  (12)                                                         
                H  H   (4)                                                
                          H   (1)                                         
                                 (24)                                     
YB-10  H  H  (13)                                                         
                H  H   H  H   (1)                                         
                                 (25)                                     
YB-11  H  H  (14)                                                         
                H  H   (4)                                                
                          H   (1)                                         
                                 (26)                                     
YB-12  H  H  (15)                                                         
                H  H   (4)                                                
                          H   (4)                                         
                                 (27)                                     
YB-13  H  H  H  H  H   (4)                                                
                          H   (4)                                         
                                 H                                        
YB-14  H  H  H  H  H   (5)                                                
                          H   (1)                                         
                                 (28)                                     
YB-15  H  H  (6)                                                          
                H  H   (4)                                                
                          H   (1)                                         
                                 (17)                                     
YB-16  H  H  (6)                                                          
                H  H   (4)                                                
                          H   (1)                                         
                                 (29)                                     
YB-17  H  H  (7)                                                          
                H  H   (4)                                                
                          H   (1)                                         
                                 (29)                                     
YB-18  H  H  H  H  H   H  (7) (4)                                         
                                 H                                        
YB-19  H  H  (30)                                                         
                (31)                                                      
                   H   H  H   (1)                                         
                                 H                                        
YB-20  H  H  (11)                                                         
                H  H   (32)                                               
                          H   (4)                                         
                                 (33)                                     
__________________________________________________________________________
(1) Cl, (2) CH.sub.2, (3) C.sub.18 H.sub.37,                              
(4) OCH.sub.3, (5) NHCOC.sub.17 H.sub.35, (6) COOC.sub.12 H.sub.25,       
(7)                                                                       
 ##STR8##                                                                 
(8)                                                                       
 ##STR9##                                                                 
(9)                                                                       
 ##STR10##                                                                
(10)                                                                      
 ##STR11##                                                                
(11)                                                                      
 ##STR12##                                                                
(12)                                                                      
 ##STR13##                                                                
(13)                                                                      
 ##STR14##                                                                
(14)                                                                      
 ##STR15##                                                                
(15)                                                                      
 ##STR16##                                                                
(16)                                                                      
 ##STR17##                                                                
(17)                                                                      
 ##STR18##                                                                
(18)                                                                      
 ##STR19##                                                                
(19)                                                                      
 ##STR20##                                                                
(20)                                                                      
 ##STR21##                                                                
(21)                                                                      
 ##STR22##                                                                
(22)                                                                      
 ##STR23##                                                                
(23)                                                                      
 ##STR24##                                                                
(24)                                                                      
 ##STR25##                                                                
(25)                                                                      
 ##STR26##                                                                
(26)                                                                      
 ##STR27##                                                                
(27)                                                                      
 ##STR28##                                                                
(28)                                                                      
 ##STR29##                                                                
(29)                                                                      
 ##STR30##                                                                
(30)                                                                      
 ##STR31##                                                                
(31)                                                                      
OC.sub.18 H.sub.37                                                        
(32)                                                                      
OC.sub.16 H.sub.33                                                        
(33)                                                                      
 ##STR32##                                                                
    The yellow couplers listed above are preferably added in amounts of   
1×10.sup.-3 to 1 mole, more preferably 1×10.sup.-4 3 to       
Magenta couplers that are preferably used in the present invention are represented by the following general formula (M-I): ##STR33## where Z signifies the non-metallic atomic group necessary to form a nitrogenous heterocyclic ring, with the ring formed by Z optionally having a substituent; X is a hydrogen atom or a group that can be eliminated upon reaction with the oxidation product of a color developing agent; and R is a hydrogen atom or a substituent:
The substituents denoted by R are in no way limited but may be exemplified by alkyl, aryl, anilino, acylamino, sulfonamido, alkylthio, arylthio, alkenyl, cycloalkyl, etc. Other examples include: a halogen atom; groups such as cycloalkenyl, alkynyl, heterocyclic ring, sulfonyl, sulfinyl, phosphonyl, acyl, carbamoyl, sulfamoyl, cyano, alkoxy, aryloxy, heterocyclic oxy, siloxy, acyloxy, carbamoyloxy, amino, alkylamino, imido, ureido, sulfamoylamino, alkoxycarbonylamino, aryloxycarbonylamino, alkoxycarbonyl, aryloxycarbonyl and heterocyclic thio; and residues such as a spiro compound residue and a bridged hydrocarbon compound residue.
The alkyl group denoted by R may be straight-chained or branched and it preferably has 1-32 carbon atoms. The aryl group denoted by R is preferably a phenyl group Examples of the acylamino group denoted by R include alkylcarbonylamino and arylcarbonylamino groups. Examples of the sulfonamido group denoted by R include alkylsulfonylamino and arylsulfonylamino groups. The alkyl and aryl portions of the alkylthio and arylthio groups denoted by R may be exemplified by the alkyl and aryl groups listed above as examples of R. The alkenyl group denoted by R may be straight-chained or branched and it preferably has 2-32 carbon atoms. The cycloalkyl group denoted by R preferably has 3-12 carbon atoms, with the presence of 5-7 carbon atoms being particularly preferred. The cycloalkenyl group denoted by R preferably has 3-12 carbon atoms, more preferably 5-7 carbon atoms. Examples of the sulfonyl group denoted by R include alkylsulfonyl and arylsulfonyl groups. Examples of the sulfinyl groups denoted by R include alkylsulfinyl and arylsulfinyl groups. Examples of the phosphonyl group denoted by R include alkylphosphonyl, alkoxyphosphonyl, aryloxyphosphonyl and arylphosphonyl groups. Examples of the acyl group denoted by R include alkylcarbonyl and arylcarbonyl groups. Examples of the carbamoyl group denoted by R include alkylcarbamoyl and arylcarbamoyl groups. Examples of the sulfamoyl group denoted by R include alkylsulfamoyl and arylsulfamoyl groups. Examples of the acyloxy group denoted by R include alkylcarbonyloxy and arylcarbonyloxy groups. Examples of the carbamoyloxy group denoted by R include alkylcarbamoyloxy and arylcarbamoyloxy groups. Examples of the ureido group denoted by R include alkylureido and arylureido groups. Examples of the sulfamoylamino group denoted by R include alkylsulfamoylamino and arylsulfamoylamino groups. The heterocyclic group denoted by R is preferably 5- to 7-membered and may be illustrated by 2-furyl, 2-thienyl, 2-pyrimidinyl and 2-benzothiazolyl groups. The heterocyclic oxy group denoted by R preferably has a 5- to 7-membered heterocyclic ring and may be exemplified by 3,4,5,6-tetrahydropyranyl-2-oxy and 1-phenyltetrazol-5-oxy group. The heterocyclic thio group denoted by R is preferably 5- to 7-membered ring and may be exemplified by 2-pyridylthio, 2-benzothiazolylthio, 2,4-diphenoxy-1,3,5-triazol-6-thio groups. Examples of the siloxy group denoted by R include trimethylsiloxy, triethylsiloxy and dimethylbutylsiloxy groups. Examples of the imido group denoted by R include succinimido, 3-heptadecylsuccinimido, phthalimido and glutarimido groups. An example of the spiro compound residue denoted by R is spiro[3,3]-heptan-1-yl. Examples of the bridged hydrocarbon compound residue denoted by R include bicyclo[2,2,1]heptan-1-yl, tricyclo[3,3,1,13,7 ]-decan-1-yl and 7,7-dimethyl-bicyclo[2,2,1]heptan-1-yl.
Examples of the group denoted by X which can be eliminated upon reaction with the oxidation product of a color developing agent include: a halogen atom (e.g., chlorine, bromine or fluorine atoms) and groups such as alkoxy, aryloxy, heterocyclic oxy, acyloxy, sulfonyloxy, alkoxycarbonyloxy, aryloxycarbonyl, alkyloxyalyloxy, alkoxyoxalyloxy, alkylthio, arylthio, heterocyclic thio, alkyloxythiocarbonylthio, acylamino, sulfonamido, a nitrogenous heterocyclic ring bound with a nitrogen atom, alkyloxycarbonylamino, aryloxycarbonylamino, carboxyl, and the group represented by the following formula: ##STR34## (where R'1 is the same as defined for R; Z' is the same as defined for Z; R'2 and R'3 each represents a hydrogen atom, an aryl group, an alkyl group or a heterocyclic group). A halogen atom, in particular a chlorine atom, is preferred.
Examples of the nitrogenous heterocyclic ring formed by Z or Z' include pyrazole, imidazole, triazole and tetrazole rings; these rings may have any of the substituents mentioned above in connection with R.
The magenta couplers represented by the general formula (M-I) are more specifically represented by the following general formulas (M-II) to (M-VII): ##STR35##
In the general formulas (M-II) to (M-VII), R1 to R8 and X have the same meanings as R and X in the general formula (M-I).
The most preferred compound of the general formula (M-I) is represented by the following general formula (M-VIII): ##STR36## where R1, X and Z1 have the same meanings as R, X and Z in the general formula (M-I).
Among the magenta couplers represented by the general formulas (M-II) to (M-VII), the one represented by the general formula (M-II) is particularly preferred.
Substituents R and R1 on the heterocyclic ring described above are most preferably represented by the following general formula (M-IX):
R.sub.9 --CH.sub.2 --                                      (M-IX)
where R9 have the same meaning as R in the general formula (M-I). R9 is preferably a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group.
The substituent that may be present on the ring formed by Z in the general formula (M-I) or the ring formed by Z1 in the general formula (M-VIII), as well as R2 to R8 in the general formulas (M-II) to (M-VI) are preferably represented by the following general formula (M-X):
--R.sup.1 --SO.sub.2 --R.sup.2                             (M-X)
where R1 is an alkylene group; and R2 is an alkyl, cycloalkyl or aryl group. The alkylene group denoted by R1 preferably has at least 2 carbon atoms, more preferably 3 to 6 carbon atoms in the linear portion, and it may be straight-chained or branched. The cycloalkyl group represented by R2 is preferably 5- or 6-membered.
Typical examples of the magenta couplers that may be employed in the present invention are shown specifically below. ##STR37##
Besides the typical examples given above, magenta couplers suitable for use in the present invention may be selected from among Compound Nos. 1-4, 6, 8-17, 19-43, 45-59, 61-104, 106-121, 123-162 and 164-223 listed on pages 66 to 122 of the specification of Japanese Patent Application (OPI) No. 166339/1987.
The magenta couplers described above can be synthesized with reference to Journal of the chemical Society, Perkin I, 1977, 2047-2052 and prior patents including U.S. Pat. No. 3,725,067, and Japanese Patent application (OPI) Nos. 99437/1984, 42045/1983, 162548/1984, 171956/1984, 33552/1985, 43659/1985, 172982/1985 and 190779/1985.
The magenta couplers are normally used in amounts ranging from 1×10-3 to 1 mole, preferably from 5×10-3 to 8×10-1 moles, per mole of silver halide.
The preferred magenta couplers described above may be employed in combination with other kinds of magenta couplers.
The naphtholic cyan couplers that are preferably used in the present invention are represented by the following general formula (CN): ##STR38## where R1 is --CONR4 R5, --NHCOR4, --NHCOOR6, --NHSO2 R6, --1NHCONR4 R5 or --NHSO2 NR4 R5 ; R2 is a monovalent group; R3 is a substituent; X is a hydrogen atom or a group that is eliminated upon reaction with the oxidation product of an aromatic primary amino developing agent; l is 0 or 1; m is an integer of 0-3; R4 and R5 each represents a hydrogen atom, an aromatic group, an aliphatic group or a heterocyclic group; R6 is an aromatic group, an aliphatic group or a heterocyclic group; when m is 2 or 3, R3 may be the same or different and may combine with each other to form a ring; R4 and R5, R2 and R3 or R2 and X may combine with each other to form a ring; when l is 0, then m is 0, R1 is --CONHR7 and R7 is an aromatic group; and each of the groups represented by R2 -R7 may optionally have a substituent.
Preferred examples of R6 are aliphatic groups having 1-30 carbon atoms, aromatic groups having 6-30 carbon atoms and heterocyclic groups having 1-30 carbon atoms. Preferred examples of R4 and R5 include a hydrogen atom and the groups mentioned above as preferred examples of R6.
Preferred examples of R2 include a hydrogen atom, aliphatic groups having 1-30 carbon atoms, aromatic groups having 6-30 carbon atoms, heterocyclic groups having 1-30 carbon atoms, --OR8, --COR8, ##STR39## --CO2 R10, --SO2 R10 and --SO2 OR10 (where R8, R9 and R10 are the same as defined for R4, R5 and R6, respectively, and R8 and R9 may combine to form a hetero cyclic ring), these groups being bound to NH either directly or indirectly via NH, CO or SO2.
A preferred example of R7 is an aromatic group having 6-30 carbon atoms. Typical substituents on R7 include: a halogen atom, a hydroxyl group, an amino group, a carboxyl group, a sulfonic acid group, a cyano group, an aromatic group, a hetero group, a carbonamido group, a sulfonamido group, a carbamoyl group, a sulfamoyl group, a ureido group, an acyl group, an acyloxy group, an aliphatic oxy group, an aromatic oxy group, an aliphatic thio group, an aromatic thio group, an aliphatic sulfonyl group, an aromatic sulfonyl group, a sulfamoylamino group, a nitro group, an imido group, an aliphatic group, and an aliphatic oxycarbonyl group. When R7 has more than one substituent, the substituents may combine together to form a ring, as in the case of a dioxymethylene group.
Typical examples of R3 include: a halogen atom, a hydroxyl group, an amino group, a carboxyl group, a sulfonic acid group, a cyano group, an aromatic group, a heterocyclic group, a carbonamido group, a sulfonamido group, a carbamoyl group, a sulfamoyl group, a ureido group, an acyl group, an acyloxy group, an aliphatic oxy group, an aromatic oxy group, an aliphatic thio group, an aromatic thio group, an aliphatic sulfonyl group, an aromatic sulfonyl group, a sulfamoylamino group, a nitro group and an imido group. The number of carbon atoms present in R3 preferably ranges from 0 to 30. An example of cyclic R3 when n=2 is a dioxymethylene group.
When l is 1, a particularly preferred example of R1 is --CONR4 R5, and m is preferably 0, with R2 being preferably selected from among --COR8, --COOR10, --SO2 R10, --CONR8 R9 and --SO2 NR8 R9 which are bound directly to NH. Among these, --COOR10, --COR8 and --SO2 R10 which are bound directly to NH are particularly preferred, with --COOR10 being most preferred. Dimers and higher oligomers formed through R1 to R3 and X are also included within the scope of the present invention.
Specific examples of the couplers represented by the general formula (CN) are described in such prior patents as Japanese Patent Application (OPI) Nos. 237448/1985, 153640/1986, 145557/1986, 85242/1987, 15529/1973, 117422/1975, 18315/1977, 90932/1977, 52423/1978, 48237/1979, 66129/1979, 32071/1980, 65957/1980, 105226/1980, 1938/1981, 12643/1981, 27147/1981, 126832/1981 and 95346/1983, as well as U.S. Pat. No. 3,488,193. Methods of synthesis are also described in these patents.
Non-limiting typical examples of the cyan couplers represented by the general formula (CN) are listed below: ##STR40##
The ureidophenolic cyan couplers that are preferably used in the present invention are preferably represented by the following general formula (CU): ##STR41## where X is a hydrogen atom or a group that can be eliminated upon coupling with an aromatic primary amino color developing agent; R1 is an aryl group or a heterocyclic group; R2 is an aliphatic group or an aryl group; each of the groups denoted by R1 and R2 may have a substituent and may form a dimer or higher oligomers; R1 and R2, taken either independently or in combination, have the shape or size necessary to impart non-diffusing property to the coupler represented by the general formula (CU) or a dye formed of said coupler.
Examples of the aryl group denoted by R1 or R2 are phenyl and naphthyl groups. Illustrative substituents on the group denoted by R1 or R2 include nitro, cyano, halogen, alkyl, aryl, amino, hydroxy, acyl, alkoxycarbonyl, aryloxy-carbonyl, alkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, alkoxysulfonyl, aryloxysulfonyl, carbamoyl, sulfamoyl, acyloxy, carbonamido, and sulfonamido. The number of substituents present is preferably 1-5. If more than one substituent is present, the substituents may be the same or different.
Preferred substituents on R1 are alkylsulfonyl, cyano and halogen. A preferred substituent on R2 is represented by the following general formula (CU-II): ##STR42## where J is an oxygen or sulfur atom; k is an integer of 0-4; l is 0 or 1; when k is 2 or more, R4 may be the same or different; R3 is an alkylene group; and R4 is a substituent.
Examples of the substituent denoted by R4 include alkyl, aryl, alkoxy, aryloxy, hydroxy, acyloxy, arylcarbonyloxy, carboxy, alkoxycarbonyl, aryloxycarbonyl, alkylthio, acyl, acylamino, sulfonamido, carbamoyl and sulfamoyl.
Examples of the leaving group denoted by X include groups, such as an aryloxy group, a carbamoyloxy group, a carbamoylmethoxy group, an acyloxy group, a sulfonamido group and a succinimido group, that have a halogen, an oxygen or nitrogen atom bonded directly to the coupling site. More specific examples of the leaving group are des-cribed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,741,563, Japanese Patent Application (OPI) No. 37425/1972, Japanese Patent Publication No. 36894/1973, Japanese Patent application (OPI) Nos. 10135/1975, 117422/1975, 130441/1975, 108841/1976, 120334/1975, 18315/1977, 105226/1978, etc.
Specific examples of the ureidophenolic coupler are listed below. ##STR43##
Other specific examples of the ureidophenolic coupler are described in Japanese Patent Application (OPI) No. 65134/1981, 204543/1982, 204544/1982, 204545/1982, 33249/1983, 33253/1983, 98731/1983, 118643/1983, 179838/1983, 187928/1983, 65844/1984, 71051/1984, 86048/1984, 105644/1984, 111643/1984, 111644/1984, 131939/1984, 165058/1984, 177558/1984, 180559/1984, 198455/1984, 35731/1985, 37557/1985, 49335/1985, 49336/1985, 50533/1985, 91355/1985, 107649/1985, 107650/1985, 2757/1986, etc.
The cyan couplers described above are normally used in amounts ranging from 1.0×10-3 to 1.0 mole, preferably from 5.0×10-3 to 8.0×10-1 moles, per mole of silver halide.
The couplers to be used in the present invention can be incorporated in the light-sensitive material by various methods depending upon the physical properties (e.g., solubility) of the couplers; typical methods that can be employed include a water-in-oil type emulsion dispersing method which employs a water-insoluble high-boiling point organic solvent, an alkali dispersing method in which the couplers are added as alkaline solutions, a latex dispersing method, and a solid dispersing method in which the couplers are directly added as fine solid particles.
The silver halide photographic material of the present invention may incorporate a variety of additives including color fog preventing agents, image stabilizers, hardening agents, plasticizers, polymer latices, μv absorbers, formaldehyde scavengers, mordants, development accelerators, development retarders, brightening agents, matting agents, lubricants, antistats and surfactants.
The silver halide photographic material of the present invention is capable of forming image by being subjected to various color development processes as in the processing of ordinary silver halide photographic materials.
A silver halide photographic material incorporating the polymer defined herein is capable of suppressing fogging that will otherwise occur in ordinary color development. A particular advantage of this photographic material is that it is capable of appreciable reduction in the increase of fogging which will otherwise occur in rapid color development (on account of the use of an increased amount of color developing agent or processing at increased pH and temperature). In addition, this photographic material will experience a smaller degree of desensitization and reduction in gradation than when ordinary fog restrainers are used. As a further advantage, the photographic material of the present invention will produce an image having improved sharpness and granularity.
The following examples are provided for the purpose of further illustrating the present invention but are in no way to be taken as limiting.
Unless otherwise noted, the amounts of sensitizing dyes and couplers added to silver halide photographic materials in the following examples are based on one mole of silver halide. Unless otherwise noted, the amounts of addition of other additives are based on one square meter. The amounts of silver halides and colloidal silver are shown in terms of silver.
EXAMPLE 1
Layers having the formulations described below were formed is superposition on a triacetyl cellulose film base to form sample No. 1
__________________________________________________________________________
Sample No. 1                                                              
__________________________________________________________________________
First layer:                                                              
       Highly blue-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer                 
                                1.2 g/m.sup.2                             
       Monodispersed core/shell emulsion (Emulsion I)                     
       having an average grain size of 1.2 μm and                      
       being composed of AgBrI containing 6.0 mol % AgI                   
       Sensitizing dye V        1.8 × 10.sup.-4 mole                
                                per mole of silver                        
       Yellow coupler (YB-15)   0.04 moles                                
                                per mole of silver                        
       HBS-2A                   0.25 g                                    
Second layer:                                                             
       Protective layer                                                   
       Gelatin layer containing polymethyl methacrylate                   
       particles (1.5 μm in diameter) and formaldehyde                 
       scavenger (HS-1)                                                   
__________________________________________________________________________
Besides the compositions mentioned above, a gelatin hardener (H-1) or (H-2) and a surfactant were incorporated in the individual layers.
Sample Nos. 2-12 were prepared in the same manner as described above except that the emulsion and the yellow coupler were replaced by those shown in Table 1 below and that polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) or a restrainer (Z-I or Z-II) was added. ##STR44##
                                  TABLE 1                                 
__________________________________________________________________________
              Polymer or restrainer                                       
Sample   Yellow         Amount added                                      
No. Emulsion                                                              
         coupler                                                          
              Compound                                                    
                    MW  (g/mol Ag)                                        
                                Remarks                                   
__________________________________________________________________________
1   I    YB-15                                                            
              --    --  --      Comparison                                
2   "    "    PVP   360,000                                               
                        0.2     Comparison                                
3   "    "    "     160,000                                               
                        "       Comparison                                
4   "    "    "     45,000                                                
                        "       Comparison                                
5   "    "    "     25,000                                                
                        "       the invention                             
6   "    "    "     9,000                                                 
                        "       the invention                             
7   II   "    "     360,000                                               
                        "       Comparison                                
8   "    "    "     9,000                                                 
                        "       the invention                             
9   I    Y-1  "     360,000                                               
                        "       Comparison                                
10  "    "    "     9,000                                                 
                        "       the invention                             
11  "    YB-15                                                            
              Z-I        0.01   Comparison                                
12  "    "    Z-II      0.1     Comparison                                
__________________________________________________________________________
Sample Nos 1-12 thus prepared were exposed to white light through an optical wedge and subsequently processed according to scheme (A).
______________________________________                                    
Processing scheme (A)                                                     
Processing steps (38° C.)                                          
______________________________________                                    
Color development                                                         
               3 min and 15 seconds                                       
Bleaching      6 min and 30 seconds                                       
Rinsing        3 min and 15 seconds                                       
Fixing         6 min and 30 seconds                                       
Rinsing        3 min and 15 seconds                                       
Stabilizing    1 min and 30 seconds                                       
Drying                                                                    
______________________________________                                    
The processing solutions employed in this processing had the following formulations.
______________________________________                                    
Color developer                                                           
4-Amino-3-methyl-N-ethyl-N-(β-                                       
                       4.75       g                                       
hydroxyethyl)aniline sulfate                                              
Anhydrous sodium sulfite                                                  
                       4.25       g                                       
Hydroxylamine 1/2 sulfate                                                 
                       2.0        g                                       
Anhydrous potassium carbonate                                             
                       37.5       g                                       
Sodium bromide         1.3        g                                       
Nitrilotriacetic acid trisodium salt                                      
                       2.5        g                                       
(monohydrate)                                                             
Potassium hydroxide    1.0        g                                       
Water                  to make 1,000                                      
                                  ml                                      
pH                     10.1                                               
Bleaching solution                                                        
Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid                                           
                       100.0      g                                       
iron ammonium salt                                                        
Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid                                           
                       10.0       g                                       
diammonium salt                                                           
Ammonium bromide       150.0      g                                       
Glacial acetic acid    10.0       ml                                      
Water                  to make 1,000                                      
                                  ml                                      
pH adjusted to 6.0 with aqueous ammonia                                   
Fixing solution                                                           
Ammonium thiosulfate   175.0      g                                       
Anhydrous sodium sulfite                                                  
                       8.5        g                                       
Sodium metasulfite     2.3        g                                       
Water                  to make 1,000                                      
                                  ml                                      
pH adjusted to 6.0 with acetic acid                                       
Stabilizing solution                                                      
Formaldehyde (37% aq. sol.)                                               
                       1.5        ml                                      
Konidax (Konica Corp.) 7.5        ml                                      
Water                  to make 1,000                                      
                                  ml                                      
______________________________________                                    
The same samples were processed by scheme (B) which was the same as scheme (A) except that the conditions of color development and the formulation of color developer were charged to those shown below.
______________________________________                                    
Processing scheme (B)                                                     
Color development     90 sec at 40° C.                             
Color developer                                                           
4-Amino-3-methyl-N-(β-                                               
                      11.1 g                                              
hydroxyethyl)aniline sulfate                                              
Anhydrous sodium sulfite                                                  
                      4.25 g                                              
Hydroxylamine 1/2 sulfate                                                 
                      2.0 g                                               
Anhydrous potassium carbonate                                             
                      30.0 g                                              
Sodium bromide        1.3 g                                               
Nitrilotriacetic acid trisodium salt                                      
                      2.5 g                                               
(monohydrate)                                                             
Potassium hydroxide   1.0 g                                               
Water                 to make 1,000 ml                                    
pH                    10.2                                                
______________________________________                                    
The dye images formed on the processed samples were measured under illumination with blue light. The measured values of minimum density (Dmin) and relative sensitivity (with the sensitivity of sample No. 1 being taken as 100) are shown in Table 2.
              TABLE 2                                                     
______________________________________                                    
      Scheme A      Scheme B                                              
Sample        Relative        Relative                                    
No.   D.sub.min                                                           
              sensitivity                                                 
                        D.sub.min                                         
                              sensitivity                                 
                                      Remarks                             
______________________________________                                    
1     0.20    100       0.35  100     comparison                          
2     0.19    100       0.33  102     comparison                          
3     0.19    98        0.32  102     comparison                          
4     0.18    99        0.30  104     comparison                          
5     0.16    100       0.25  112     the invention                       
6     0.12    102       0.17  117     the invention                       
7     0.18    95        0.34  95      comparison                          
8     0.11    95        0.19  100     the invention                       
9     0.19    89        0.34  92      comparison                          
10    0.13    89        0.20  95      the invention                       
11    0.16    63        0.26  56      comparison                          
12    0.16    95        0.31  95      comparison                          
______________________________________                                    
As the above data shows, the samples prepared in accordance with the present invention had the advantages of the absence of desensitization and low fogging. It is particularly interesting to note that these samples experienced an appreciably low degree of increase in fogging.
EXAMPLE 2
Layers having the formulations described below were formed in superposition on a triacetyl cellulose film support to form a multilayered color photographic material sample No. 21.
__________________________________________________________________________
Sample No. 21 (Comparison)                                                
__________________________________________________________________________
First layer:                                                              
         Anti-halation layer (HC-1)                                       
         Gelatin layer containing black colloidal silver                  
Second layer:                                                             
         Intermediate layer (I.L.)                                        
         Gelatin layer containing an emulsified dispersion                
         of 2,5-di-t-octylhydroquinone                                    
Third layer:                                                              
         Less red-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer                  
                                 silver deposit, 1.8 g/m.sup.2            
         (RL-1)                                                           
         Monodispersed core/shell emulsion (Emulsion III)                 
         having an average grain size (-r) of 0.65 μm and              
         being composed of AgBrI containing 7 mol % AgI                   
         Sensitizing dye I       5.0 × 10.sup.-4 moles              
                                 per mole of silver                       
         Sensitizing dye II      0.7 × 10.sup.-4 moles              
                                 per mole of silver                       
         Cyan coupler (CU-4)     0.10 mole                                
                                 per mole of silver                       
         Colored cyan coupler    0.002 moles                              
         (CC-1)                  per mole of silver                       
         DIR compound (D-1)      0.0005 moles                             
                                 per mole of silver                       
         DIR compound (D-2)      0.003 moles                              
                                 per mole of silver                       
         HBS-1A                  1.0 g                                    
Fourth layer:                                                             
         Intermediate layer                                               
         Gelatin layer which was the same as                              
         the second layer                                                 
Fifth layer:                                                              
         Highly red-sensitive silver halide emulsion                      
                                 silver deposit,                          
         layer (RH-1)            2.2 g/m.sup.2                            
         Monodispersed emulsion (Emulsion II) having                      
         an average grain size (-r) of 1.2 μm and being                
         composed of AgBrI containing 6 mol % AgI                         
         Sensitizing dye I       2.6 × 10.sup.-4 moles              
                                 per mole of silver                       
         Sensitizing dye II      0.7 × 10.sup.-4 moles              
                                 per mole of silver                       
         Cyan coupler (CU-4)     0.004 moles                              
                                 per mole of silver                       
         Cyan coupler (C-1)      0.014 moles                              
                                 per mole of silver                       
         Colored cyan coupler    0.001 mole                               
         (CC-1)                  per mole of silver                       
         DIR compound (D-2)      0.0005 moles                             
                                 per mole of silver                       
         HBS-1A                  0.37 g                                   
Sixth layer:                                                              
         Intermediate layer (I.L.)                                        
         Gelatin layer which was the same as                              
         the second layer                                                 
Seventh layer:                                                            
         Less green-sensitive silver halide emulsion                      
         layer (GL-1)                                                     
         Emulsion III            silver deposit,                          
                                 1.0 g/m.sup.2                            
         Sensitizing dye III     2.0 × 10.sup.-4 moles              
                                 per mole of silver                       
         Sensitizing dye IV      1.0 × 10.sup.-4 mole               
                                 per mole of silver                       
         Magenta coupler (M-4)   0.090 moles                              
                                 per mole of silver                       
         Colored magenta         0.007 moles                              
         coupler (CM-1)          per mole of silver                       
         DIR compound (D-3)      0.002 moles                              
                                 per mole of silver                       
         DIR compound (D-4)      0.003 moles                              
                                 per mole of silver                       
         HBS-2A                  0.90 g                                   
Eighth layer:                                                             
         Intermediate layer                                               
         Gelatin layer which was the same as                              
         the second layer                                                 
Ninth layer:                                                              
         Highly green-sensitive silver halide                             
         emulsion layer (GH-1)                                            
         Emulsion I              silver deposit,                          
                                 2.5 g/m.sup.2                            
         Sensitizing dye III     1.2 × 10.sup.-4 moles              
                                 per mole of silver                       
         Sensitizing dye IV      0.8 × 10.sup.-4 moles              
                                 per mole of silver                       
         Magenta coupler (M-4)   0.01 mole                                
                                 per mole of silver                       
         Colored magenta         0.005 moles                              
         coupler (CM-1)          per mole of silver                       
         DIR compound (D-3)      0.0002 moles                             
                                 per silver                               
         HBS-2A                  0.22 g                                   
Tenth layer:                                                              
         Yellow filter layer (YC-1)                                       
         Gelatin layer containing an emulsified                           
         dispersion of yellow colloidal silver and                        
         2,5-di-t-octylhydroquinone                                       
Eleventh Less blue-sensitive silver halide emulsion                       
layer:   layer (BL-1)                                                     
         Emulsion III            silver deposit,                          
                                 0.5 g/m.sup.2                            
         Sensitizing dye V       1.3 × 10.sup.-4 moles              
                                 per mole of silver                       
         Yellow coupler          0.35 moles                               
         (YB-15)                 per mole of silver                       
         HBS-2A                  0.25 g                                   
Twelfth layer:                                                            
         Highly blue-sensitive silver halide emulsion                     
         layer (BH-1)                                                     
         Same as the first layer used in Example 1                        
Thirteenth layer:                                                         
         First protective layer (Pro-1)                                   
         Gelatin layer containing silver iodobromide                      
         (1 mol % AgI; average grain size, 0.07 μm;                    
         silver deposit, 0.4 g/m.sup.2), as well as uv                    
         absorbers UV-1 and UV-2                                          
Fourteenth layer:                                                         
         Second protective layer (Pro-2)                                  
         Same as the second layer (protective layer)                      
         used in Example 1                                                
__________________________________________________________________________
Besides the compositions described above, a gelatin hardener (H-1) or (H-2) and a surfactant were incorporated in the individual layers. Provided that the film thickness of each layer is 2.0 μm for the first layer, 1.0 μm for the second layer, 3.2 μm for the third layer, 1.0 μm for the fourth layer, 1.6 μm for the fifth layer, 1.0 μm for the sixth layer, 2.9 μm for the seventh layer, 1.0 μm for the eighth layer, 1.5 μm for the ninth layer, 1.2 μm for the tenth layer, 2.5 μm for the eleventh layer, 1.5 μm for the twelfth layer, 1.1 μm for the thirteenth layer and 0.7 μm for the fourteenth layer, respectively, the total thickness of the photographic constituent layers being 22.2 μm.
Samples Nos. 22-26 were prepared in the same way as described above except that polyvinylpyrrolidone (for its molecular weight, see Table 3) was incorporated in an amount of 0.5 g per mole of silver in selected emulsion layers (layers 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 and 12). Sample Nos. 27-30 were prepared in the same way except that the magenta and cyan couplers in sample Nos. 22-26 were replaced by those shown in Table 3.
                                  TABLE 3                                 
__________________________________________________________________________
    Molecular weight                                                      
             Coupler                                                      
Sample                                                                    
    of polyvinyl                                                          
             3rd 5th  7th 9th                                             
No. pyrrolidone                                                           
             layer                                                        
                 layer                                                    
                      layer                                               
                          layer                                           
                              Remarks                                     
__________________________________________________________________________
21  absent   CU-4                                                         
                 CU-4/                                                    
                      M-4 M-4 comparison                                  
                 C-1                                                      
22  460,000  CU-4                                                         
                 CU-4/                                                    
                      M-4 M-4 comparison                                  
                 C-1                                                      
23  160,000  CU-4                                                         
                 CU-4/                                                    
                      M-4 M-4 comparison                                  
                 C-1                                                      
24  45,000   CU-4                                                         
                 CU-4/                                                    
                      M-4 M-4 comparison                                  
                 C-1                                                      
25  25,000   CU-4                                                         
                 CU-4/                                                    
                      M-4 M-4 the invention                               
                 C-1                                                      
26  9,000    CU-4                                                         
                 CU-4/                                                    
                      M-4 M-4 the invention                               
                 C-1                                                      
27  460,000  CN-20                                                        
                 CN-20/                                                   
                      M-4 M-4 comparison                                  
                 C-1                                                      
28  9,000    CN-20                                                        
                 CN-20/                                                   
                      M-4 M-4 the invention                               
                 C-1                                                      
29  460,000  CN-20                                                        
                 CN-20/                                                   
                      MC-1                                                
                          MC-1                                            
                              comparison                                  
                 C-1                                                      
30  9,000    CN-20                                                        
                 CN-20/                                                   
                      MC-1                                                
                          MC-1                                            
                              the invention                               
                 C-1                                                      
__________________________________________________________________________
Sample Nos. 21-30 thus prepared were exposed to white light through an optical wedge and subsequently processed in accordance with scheme A, B or rapid scheme C which was the same as B except that the time of bleaching step was shortened from 6 minutes and 30 seconds to 3 minutes and 15 seconds. The processed samples were subjected to density measurements under illumination with blue, green or red light and the minimum density (Dmin) and relative sensitivity (with the value for sample No. 21 being taken as 100) were determined. The results are shown in Table 4.
The following compounds were incorporated in the individual layers of the samples.
Sensitizing dye I: Anhydro-5,5'-dichloro-9-ethyl-3,3'-di-(3-sulfopropyl)thiacarbocyanine hydroxide
Sensitizing dye II: Anhydro-9-ethyl-3,3-di-(3-sulfopropyl)-4,5,4',5'-dibenzothiacarbocyanine hydroxide
Sensitizing dye III: Anhydro-5,5'-diphenyl-9-ethyl-3,3'-di-(3-sulfopropyl)oxycarbocyanine hydroxide
Sensitizing dye IV: Anhydro-9-ethyl-3,3'-di-(3-sulfopropyl)-5,6,5',6'-dibenzoxacarbocyanine hydroxide
Sensitizing dye V: Anhydro-3,3'-di-(3-sulfopropyl)-4,5-benzo-5'-methoxythiacyanine anhydroxide ##STR45##
                                  TABLE 4                                 
__________________________________________________________________________
    Scheme A          Scheme B                                            
             Relative          Relative                                   
Sample                                                                    
    D.sub.min                                                             
             sensitivity                                                  
                      D.sub.min                                           
                               sensitivity                                
No. B  G  R  B  G  R  B  G  R  B  G  R  Remarks                           
__________________________________________________________________________
21  0.80                                                                  
       0.65                                                               
          0.40                                                            
             100                                                          
                100                                                       
                   100                                                    
                      0.95                                                
                         0.75                                             
                            0.50                                          
                               100                                        
                                  100                                     
                                     100                                  
                                        comparison                        
22  0.80                                                                  
       0.64                                                               
          0.39                                                            
             100                                                          
                100                                                       
                   100                                                    
                      0.94                                                
                         0.75                                             
                            0.50                                          
                               98 100                                     
                                     98 comparison                        
23  0.79                                                                  
       0.65                                                               
          0.39                                                            
             98 100                                                       
                   98 0.92                                                
                         0.74                                             
                            0.49                                          
                               98 98 100                                  
                                        comparison                        
24  0.78                                                                  
       0.64                                                               
          0.38                                                            
             98 99 99 0.90                                                
                         0.73                                             
                            0.48                                          
                               99 98 100                                  
                                        comparison                        
25  0.70                                                                  
       0.62                                                               
          0.35                                                            
             98 98 100                                                    
                      0.78                                                
                         0.69                                             
                            0.40                                          
                               107                                        
                                  100                                     
                                     102                                  
                                        the invention                     
26  0.65                                                                  
       0.60                                                               
          0.31                                                            
             102                                                          
                100                                                       
                   98 0.71                                                
                         0.66                                             
                            0.35                                          
                               112                                        
                                  105                                     
                                     105                                  
                                        the invention                     
27  0.80                                                                  
       0.65                                                               
          0.38                                                            
             100                                                          
                100                                                       
                   105                                                    
                      0.94                                                
                         0.74                                             
                            0.47                                          
                               100                                        
                                  98 102                                  
                                        comparison                        
28  0.66                                                                  
       0.59                                                               
          0.29                                                            
             102                                                          
                102                                                       
                   107                                                    
                      0.70                                                
                         0.65                                             
                            0.33                                          
                               115                                        
                                  105                                     
                                     112                                  
                                        the invention                     
29  0.80                                                                  
       0.64                                                               
          0.39                                                            
             100                                                          
                95 107                                                    
                      0.96                                                
                         0.74                                             
                            0.49                                          
                               100                                        
                                  95 102                                  
                                        comparison                        
30  0.66                                                                  
       0.61                                                               
          0.30                                                            
             100                                                          
                95 110                                                    
                      0.72                                                
                         0.68                                             
                            0.34                                          
                               112                                        
                                  100                                     
                                     115                                  
                                        the invention                     
__________________________________________________________________________
None of the samples prepared in accordance with the present invention and which were processed by scheme C suffered a decrease in the density of cyan color as compared with the case where they were processed by scheme B. It is therefore clear that these samples of the present invention are highly adapted for rapid processing which is realized by, for example shortening of the bleaching time.
EXAMPLE 3
Layers having the formulations shown below were formed in superposition on a triacetyl cellulose film support to form color photographic material sample No. 31.
__________________________________________________________________________
Sample No. 31 (comparison)                                                
__________________________________________________________________________
First layer:                                                              
        Anti-halation layer (HC-1)                                        
        Gelatin layer containing black colloidal silver                   
        (film thickness, 1.5 μm)                                       
Second layer:                                                             
        Intermediate layer (I.L.)                                         
        Gelatin layer containing an emulsified dis-                       
        persion of 2,5-di-t-octylhydroquinone                             
        (film thickness, 1.0 μm)                                       
Third layer:                                                              
        Less red-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer                   
                               silver deposit,                            
        (RL-1) (film thickness, 3.0 μm)                                
                               1.8 g/m.sup.2                              
        Monodispersed emulsion (Emulsion I) having                        
        an average grain size (-r) of 0.42 μm and being                
        composed of AgBrI containing 7.2 mol % AgI                        
        Sensitizing dye I      5 × 10.sup.-4 moles                  
                               per mole of silver                         
        Sensitizing dye II     0.8 × 10.sup.-4 moles                
                               per mole of silver                         
        Cyan coupler (CU-4)    0.085 moles                                
                               per mole of silver                         
        Colored cyan coupler   0.005 moles                                
        (CC-1)                 per mole of silver                         
        DIR compound (D-5)     0.0015 moles                               
                               per mole of silver                         
Fourth layer:                                                             
        Highly red-sensitive silver halide emulsion                       
                               silver deposit,                            
        layer (RH-1) (film thickness, 1.5 μm)                          
                               1.3 g/m.sup.2                              
        Monodispersed emulsion (Emulsion II) having                       
        an average grain size (-r) of 0.75 μm and being                
        composed of AgBrI containing 7.2 mol % AgI                        
        Sensitizing dye I      2.5 × 10.sup.-4 moles                
                               per mole of silver                         
        Sensitizing dye II     0.8 × 10.sup.-4 moles                
                               per mole of silver                         
        Cyan coupler (C-1)     0.02 moles                                 
                               per mole of silver                         
        Colored cyan coupler   0.0015 moles                               
        (CC-1)                 per mole of silver                         
Fifth layer:                                                              
        Intermediate layer (I.L.)                                         
        Gelatin layer which was the same as the                           
        second layer (film thickness, 1.5 μm)                          
Sixth layer:                                                              
        Less green-sensitive silver halide emulsion                       
        layer (GL-1) (film thickness, 3.0 μm)                          
        Emulsion I             silver deposit,                            
                               1.8 g/m.sup.2                              
        Sensitizing dye III    2.0 × 10.sup.-4 moles                
                               per mole of silver                         
        Sensitizing dye IV     1.0 × 10.sup.-4 mole                 
                               per mole of silver                         
        Magenta coupler (M-4)  0.12 moles                                 
                               per mole of silver                         
        Colored magenta        0.004 moles                                
        coupler (CM-1)         per mole of silver                         
        DIR compound (D-5)     0.002 moles                                
                               per mole of silver                         
Seventh layer:                                                            
        Highly green-sensitive silver halide emulsion                     
        layer (GH-1) (film thickness, 2.5 μm)                          
        Emulsion II            silver deposit,                            
                               1.5 g/m.sup.2                              
        Sensitizing dye III    1.2 × 10.sup.-4 moles                
                               per mole of silver                         
        Sensitizing dye IV     0.8 × 10.sup.-4 moles                
                               per mole of silver                         
        Magenta coupler        0.02 moles                                 
        (MC-1)                 per mole of silver                         
        Colored magenta        0.002 moles                                
        coupler (CM-1)         per mole of silver                         
Eighth layer:                                                             
        Yellow filter layer (YC-1)                                        
        Gelatin layer containing an emulsified                            
        dispersion of yellow colloidal silver and                         
        2,5-di-t-octylhydroquinone (film thickness,                       
        1.5 μm)                                                        
Ninth layer:                                                              
        Less blue-sensitive silver halide emulsion                        
                               silver deposit,                            
        layer (BL-1) (film thickness, 3.0 μm)                          
                               0.9 g/m.sup.2                              
        Monodispersed emulsion (Emulsion III) haing                       
        an average grain size of 0.48 μm and being                     
        composed of AgBrI containing 6.0 mol % AgI                        
        Sensitizing dye V      1.3 × 10.sup.-4 moles                
                               per mole of silver                         
        Yellow coupler (Y-1)   0.34 moles                                 
                               per mole of silver                         
Tenth layer:                                                              
        Highly blue-sensitive silver halide emulsion                      
                               silver deposit,                            
        layer (BH-1) (film thickness, 2.0 μm)                          
                               0.60 g/m.sup.2                             
        Monodispersed emulsion (Emulsion IV) having                       
        an average grain size of 0.9 μm and being                      
        composed of AgBrI containing 7.2 mol % AgI                        
        Sensitizing dye V      1.0 × 10.sup.-4 moles                
                               per mole of silver                         
        Yellow coupler         0.16 moles                                 
        (Y-1)                  per mole of silver                         
        DIR compound (D-5)     0.0015 moles                               
                               per mole of silver                         
Eleventh layer:                                                           
        First protective layer (Pro-1)                                    
        Gelatin layer containing uv absorbers,                            
        UV-1 and UV-2 (film thickness, 1.0 μm)                         
Twelfth layer:                                                            
        Second protective layer (Pro-2)                                   
        Gelatin layer containing AgBrI (2 mol % AgI;                      
        average grain size, 0.07 μm) for a silver                      
        deposit of 0.5 g/m.sup.2 and polymethyl methacrylate              
        particles (diameter, 1.5 μm) (film thickness,                  
        0.5 μm)                                                        
__________________________________________________________________________
Besides the compositions mentioned above, a gelatin hardener (H-1) or (H-2) and a surfactant were incorporated in the individual layers. The compounds incorporated in the layers of sample No. 31 were the same as those employed in Example 2.
Additional sample Nos. 32-41 were prepared in the same way as described above except that the dry thicknesses of selected layers were changed as shown in Table 5 and that polymers within the scope of the present invention were incorporated in the amounts shown in Table 5. The compositions of the individual layers in sample Nos. 32-41 were the same as those in sample No. 31 except that polymers within the scope of the present invention were incorporated in the 10th layer. The film thickness of each layer was adjusted by changing the coating weight of gelatin. The layers not mentioned in Table 5 had the same thicknesses as those employed in sample Nos. 31.
Sample Nos. 31-41 thus prepared were exposed to white light through an optical wedge and subsequently processed as in Example according to scheme A or B.
The minimum density (Dmin) of the image produced in each sample was measured after processing by both schemes and the difference was determined. The results are shown in Table 5.
The samples processed by scheme A were subjected to MTF (sharpness) and RMS granularity measurements and the results are shown in Table 5.
Sharpness measurement was conducted in the following way: rectangular wave patterns were exposed onto a sample film and the exposed film was then measured for a density profile with a Sakura Microdensitometer Model PDM-5 (Type AR, Konica Corp.) using a slit that measured 300 μm long and 2 μm wide; the resolving power of the sample film was expressed as the percentage of input modulation to determine its MTF (modulation transfer function); the results were shown as relative values of MTF at a spatial frequency of 30 lines per millimeter (with the value for sample No. 31 being taken as 100).
RMS granularity is 1000 times the standard deviation of density fluctuations which occurred when a sample having a density of Dmin+0.7 was traced with a microdensitometer having a scanning aperture's area of 250 μm2.
                                  TABLE 5                                 
__________________________________________________________________________
                         Polymer of the                                   
                         invention                                        
Sample                                                                    
    Dry film thickness (μm)  Amount                                    
No. 3rd                                                                   
       4th                                                                
          6th                                                             
             7th                                                          
                9th                                                       
                   10th                                                   
                      total                                               
                         Type                                             
                            M.W.                                          
                                (g/mol Ag)                                
__________________________________________________________________________
31  3.0                                                                   
       1.5                                                                
          3.0                                                             
             2.5                                                          
                3.0                                                       
                   2.0                                                    
                      22.0                                                
                         -- --  --                                        
32  2.0                                                                   
       1.0                                                                
          2.0                                                             
             1.5                                                          
                2.5                                                       
                   1.0                                                    
                      17.0                                                
                         -- --  --                                        
33  2.0                                                                   
       1.0                                                                
          2.0                                                             
             1.5                                                          
                2.5                                                       
                   1.0                                                    
                      17.0                                                
                         (1)                                              
                            360000                                        
                                0.5                                       
34  2.0                                                                   
       1.0                                                                
          2.0                                                             
             1.5                                                          
                2.5                                                       
                   1.0                                                    
                      17.0                                                
                         (1)                                              
                            160000                                        
                                0.5                                       
35  2.0                                                                   
       1.0                                                                
          2.0                                                             
             1.5                                                          
                2.5                                                       
                   1.0                                                    
                      17.0                                                
                         (1)                                              
                            45000                                         
                                0.5                                       
36  2.0                                                                   
       1.0                                                                
          2.0                                                             
             1.5                                                          
                2.5                                                       
                   1.0                                                    
                      17.0                                                
                         (1)                                              
                            25000                                         
                                0.5                                       
37  2.0                                                                   
       1.0                                                                
          2.0                                                             
             1.5                                                          
                2.5                                                       
                   1.0                                                    
                      17.0                                                
                         (1)                                              
                            18000                                         
                                0.5                                       
38  2.0                                                                   
       1.0                                                                
          2.0                                                             
             1.5                                                          
                2.5                                                       
                   1.0                                                    
                      17.0                                                
                         (1)                                              
                            9000                                          
                                0.5                                       
39  2.0                                                                   
       1.0                                                                
          2.0                                                             
             1.5                                                          
                2.5                                                       
                   1.0                                                    
                      17.0                                                
                         (1)                                              
                            9000                                          
                                 0.05                                     
40  2.0                                                                   
       1.0                                                                
          2.0                                                             
             1.5                                                          
                2.5                                                       
                   1.0                                                    
                      17.0                                                
                         (2)                                              
                            13000                                         
                                 0.25                                     
41  2.0                                                                   
       1.0                                                                
          2.0                                                             
             1.5                                                          
                2.5                                                       
                   1.0                                                    
                      17.0                                                
                         (3)                                              
                            10000                                         
                                 0.25                                     
__________________________________________________________________________
       ΔD.sub.B (Dmin for                                           
                       RMS                                                
Sample scheme B minus                                                     
                 MTF   granularity                                        
No.    Dmin for scheme A)                                                 
                 R  G  G  R  Remarks                                      
__________________________________________________________________________
31     0.10      100                                                      
                    100                                                   
                       34 30 Outside the scope                            
                             of the invention                             
32     0.22      107                                                      
                    108                                                   
                       36 33 Outside the scope                            
                             of the invention                             
33     0.20      107                                                      
                    108                                                   
                       35 33 Outside the scope                            
                             of the invention                             
34     0.20      107                                                      
                    108                                                   
                       35 33 Outside the scope                            
                             of the invention                             
35     0.19      107                                                      
                    108                                                   
                       34 33 Outside the scope                            
                             of the invention                             
36     0.11      110                                                      
                    112                                                   
                       30 27 the invention                                
37     0.06      112                                                      
                    115                                                   
                       28 25 the invention                                
38     0.05      112                                                      
                    115                                                   
                       27 23 the invention                                
39     0.07      112                                                      
                    115                                                   
                       28 24 the invention                                
40     0.07      110                                                      
                    111                                                   
                       29 27 the invention                                
41     0.09      109                                                      
                    109                                                   
                       29 27 the invention                                
__________________________________________________________________________
As Table 5 shows, the minimum density of image on each of sample Nos. 31-35 which were outside the scope of the present invention had a tendency to increase with the decreasing film thickness when they were subjected to rapid processing. Deterioration of granularity was also detectable in these samples. When polymers having molecular weights outside the range specified by the present invention were incorporated, they were not effective at all in increasing minimum density or improving granularity during rapid processing.
On the other hand, sample Nos. 36-41 prepared in accordance with the present invention experienced a small increase in minimum density during rapid processing as compared with sample Nos. 31-35 and they were characterized by improvement in both sharpness and granularity.
EXAMPLE 4
Layers having a formulations shown below were formed in superposition on a triacetyl cellulose film support to form color photographic material sample No. 51.
______________________________________                                    
Sample No. 51 (comparison)                                                
______________________________________                                    
First layer:                                                              
          Anti-halation layer (HC-1)                                      
          Gelatin layer containing black colloidal silver                 
          (film thickness, 1.5 μm)                                     
Second layer:                                                             
          Intermediate layer (I.L.)                                       
          Gelatin layer containing an emulsified dis-                     
          persion of 2,5-di-t-octylhydroquinone                           
          (film thickness, 1.0 μm)                                     
Third layer:                                                              
          Less red-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer                 
          (RL-1) (film thickness, 2.6 μm)                              
          Monodispersed emulsion (Emulsion I) having                      
          an average grain size (- r) of 0.42 μm and being             
          composed of AgBrI containing 7.2 mol % AgI                      
                       silver deposit,                                    
                       0.7 g/m.sup.2                                      
        Sensitizing dye I                                                 
                       5 × 10.sup.-4 moles                          
                       per mole of silver                                 
        Sensitizing dye II                                                
                       0.8 × 10.sup.-4 moles                        
                       per mole of silver                                 
        Cyan coupler (CU-4)                                               
                       0.17 moles                                         
                       per mole of silver                                 
        Colored cyan coupler                                              
                       0.013 moles                                        
        (CC-1)         per mole of silver                                 
        DIR compound (D-1)                                                
                       0.0005 moles                                       
                       per mole of silver                                 
        DIR compound (D-2)                                                
                       0.002 moles                                        
                       per mole of silver                                 
Fourth layer:                                                             
          Highly red-sensitive silver halide emulsion                     
          layer (RH-1) (film thickness, 1.6 μ m)                       
          Monodispersed emulsion (Emulsion II) having                     
          an average grain size (- r) of 0.75 μm and being             
          composed of AgBrI containing 7.2 mol % AgI                      
                       silver deposit,                                    
                       0.6 g/m.sup.2                                      
        Sensitizing dye I                                                 
                       2.5 × 10.sup.-4 moles                        
                       per mole of silver                                 
        Sensitizing dye II                                                
                       0.8 × 10.sup.-4 moles                        
                       per mole of silver                                 
        Cyan coupler (C-1)                                                
                       0.04 moles                                         
                       per mole of silver                                 
        Colored cyan coupler                                              
                       0.006 moles                                        
        (CC-1)         per mole of silver                                 
Fifth layer:                                                              
          Intermediate layer (I.L.)                                       
          Gelatin layer which was the same as the second                  
          layer (film thickness, 1.0 μm)                               
Sixth layer:                                                              
          Less green-sensitive silver halide emulsion                     
          layer (GL-1) (film thickness, 2.3 μm)                        
        Emulsion I     silver deposit,                                    
                       0.6 g/m.sup.2                                      
        Sensitizing dye III                                               
                       2.0 × 10.sup.-4 moles                        
                       per mole of silver                                 
        Sensitizing dye IV                                                
                       1.0 × 10.sup.-4 moles                        
                       per mole of silver                                 
        Magenta coupler (M-4)                                             
                       0.12 moles                                         
                       per mole of silver                                 
        Colored magenta                                                   
                       0.025 moles                                        
        coupler (CM-1) per mole of silver                                 
        DIR compound (D-3)                                                
                       0.0005 moles                                       
                       per mole of silver                                 
        DIR compound (D-4)                                                
                       0.002 moles                                        
                       per mole of silver                                 
Seventh layer:                                                            
          Highly green-sensitive silver halide emulsion                   
          layer (GH-1) (film thickness, 1.3 μm)                        
        Emulsion II    silver deposit,                                    
                       0.6 g/m.sup.2                                      
        Sensitizing dye III                                               
                       1.2 × 10.sup.-4 moles                        
                       per mole of silver                                 
        Sensitizing dye IV                                                
                       0.8 × 10.sup.-4 moles                        
                       per mole of silver                                 
        Magenta coupler                                                   
                       0.032 moles                                        
        (M-4)          per mole of silver                                 
        Colored magenta                                                   
                       0.010 moles                                        
        coupler (CM-1) per mole of silver                                 
Eighth layer:                                                             
          Yellow filter layer (YC-1)                                      
          Gelatin layer containing an emulsified                          
          dispersion of yellow colloidal silver and                       
          2,5-di-t-octylhydroquinone                                      
          (film thickness, 1.0 μm)                                     
Ninth layer:                                                              
          Less blue-sensitive silver halide emulsion                      
          layer (BL-1) (film thickness, 2.2 μm)                        
          Monodispersed emulsion (Emulsion III) having                    
          an average grain size of 0.48 μm and being                   
          composed of AgBrI containing 6.0 mol % AgI                      
                       silver deposit,                                    
                       0.5 g/m.sup.2                                      
        Sensitizing dye V                                                 
                       1.3 × 10.sup.- 4 moles                       
                       per mole of silver                                 
        Yellow coupler (Y-1)                                              
                       0.35 moles                                         
                       per mole of silver                                 
Tenth layer:                                                              
          Highly blue-sensitive silver halide emulsion                    
          layer (BH-1) (film thickness, 1.4 μm)                        
          Monodispersed emulsion (Emulsion IV) having                     
          an average grain size of 0.9 μm and being                    
          composed of AgBrI containing 7.2 mol % AgI                      
                       silver deposit,                                    
                       0.50 g/m.sup.2                                     
        Sensitizing dye V                                                 
                       1.0 × 10.sup.-4 moles                        
                       per mole of silver                                 
        Yellow coupler 0.19 moles                                         
        (Y-1)          per mole of silver                                 
        DIR compound (D-5)                                                
                       0.0010 moles                                       
                       per mole of silver                                 
Eleventh layer:                                                           
          First protective layer (Pro-1)                                  
          Gelatin layer containing uv absorbers,                          
          UV-1 and UV-2 (film thickness, 1.0 μm)                       
Twelfth layer:                                                            
          Second protective layer (Pro-2)                                 
          Gelatin layer containing AgBrI (2 mol % AgI;                    
          average grain size, 0.07 μm) for a silver                    
          deposit of 0.5 g/m.sup.2 and polymethyl methacrylate            
          particles (diameter, 1.5 μm)                                 
          (film thickness, 0.5 μm)                                     
______________________________________                                    
Besides the compositions mentioned above, a gelatin hardener (H-1) or (H-2) and a surfactant were incorporated in the individual layers. The compounds incorporated in the layers of sample No. 51 were the same as those employed in Example 2.
Additional sample Nos. 52-57 were prepared in the same way as described above except that the dry thickness of selected layers were charged as shown in Table 6 and that polymers within the scope of the present invention were incorporated in the amounts shown in Table 6. The compositions of the individual layers in sample Nos. 52-57 were the same as those in sample No. 51 except that polymers within the scope of the present invention were incorporated in the 10th layer. The film thickness of each layer was adjusted by changing the coating weight of gelatin. The layers not mentioned in Table 6 had the same thicknesses as those employed in sample Nos. 51.
Sample Nos. 51-57 thus prepared were exposed to white light through an optical wedge and subsequently processed as in Example 1 according to scheme A or B.
The minimum density (Dmin) of the image produced in each sample was measured after processing by both schemes and the difference was determined. The results are shown in Table 6.
As in Example 3, the minimum density of image on each of Sample Nos. 51-57 which were outside the scope of the present invention had a tendency to increase with the decreasing film thickness when they were subjected to rapid processing, and, also, deterioration of granularity was detectable in these samples. With the constitution of the present invention, both the minimum density and the granularity were improved.
                                  TABLE 6                                 
__________________________________________________________________________
                     Polymer of the               RMS                     
                     invention    ΔD.sub.B (Dmin for                
                                                  granu-                  
Sample                                                                    
    Dry film thickness (μm)                                            
                            Amount                                        
                                  scheme B minus                          
                                            MTF   larity                  
No. 3rd                                                                   
       4th                                                                
         6th                                                              
           7th                                                            
             9th                                                          
               10th                                                       
                  total                                                   
                     Type                                                 
                        M.W.                                              
                            (g/mol Ag)                                    
                                  Dmin for scheme A)                      
                                            R  G  G R Remarks             
__________________________________________________________________________
51  2.6                                                                   
       1.6                                                                
         2.3                                                              
           1.3                                                            
             2.2                                                          
               1.4                                                        
                  17.4                                                    
                     -- --  --    0.14      100                           
                                               100                        
                                                  39                      
                                                    36                    
                                                      Outside the scope   
                                                      of the invention    
52  2.6                                                                   
       1.6                                                                
         2.3                                                              
           1.3                                                            
             2.2                                                          
               1.4                                                        
                  17.4                                                    
                     (1)                                                  
                        360000                                            
                            0.5   0.13      100                           
                                               100                        
                                                  39                      
                                                    36                    
                                                      Outside the scope   
                                                      of the invention    
53  2.6                                                                   
       1.6                                                                
         2.3                                                              
           1.3                                                            
             2.2                                                          
               1.4                                                        
                  17.4                                                    
                     (1)                                                  
                         9000                                             
                            0.5   0.05      105                           
                                               106                        
                                                  30                      
                                                    28                    
                                                      the invention       
54  2.1                                                                   
       1.1                                                                
         1.8                                                              
           0.8                                                            
             1.7                                                          
               0.9                                                        
                  14.4                                                    
                     (1)                                                  
                        360000                                            
                            0.5   0.17      108                           
                                               109                        
                                                  41                      
                                                    38                    
                                                      Outside the scope   
                                                      of the invention    
55  2.1                                                                   
       1.1                                                                
         1.8                                                              
           0.8                                                            
             1.7                                                          
               0.9                                                        
                  14.4                                                    
                     (1)                                                  
                         25000                                            
                            0.5   0.09      115                           
                                               117                        
                                                  29                      
                                                    28                    
                                                      the invention       
56  2.1                                                                   
       1.1                                                                
         1.8                                                              
           0.8                                                            
             1.7                                                          
               0.9                                                        
                  14.4                                                    
                     (1)                                                  
                         9000                                             
                            0.5   0.07      116                           
                                               117                        
                                                  28                      
                                                    27                    
                                                      "                   
57  2.1                                                                   
       1.1                                                                
         1.8                                                              
           0.8                                                            
             1.7                                                          
               0.9                                                        
                  14.4                                                    
                     (2)                                                  
                         13000                                            
                            0.5   0.10      115                           
                                               116                        
                                                  29                      
                                                    28                    
                                                      "                   
__________________________________________________________________________

Claims (22)

What is claimed is:
1. A silver halide photographic material comprising photographic constituent layers including a blue-sensitive, green-sensitive, and red-sensitive emulsion layer, on a support, wherein;
at least one of said photographic constituent layers comprises a silver halide emulsion containing core/shell silver halide grains having a core comprising 5 to 40 mole percent silver iodide and a shell comprising at least 95 mole percent silver bromide, and a polymer including a repeating unit represented by the following Formula (I), having a weight average molecular weight of no more than 30,000, a total thickness of said photographic substituent layers being more than 18 μm on a dry basis; and
said green-sensitive emulsion layer comprises a magenta coupler represented by the following Formula (M-II); ##STR46## where R1 is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group; Z represents the atomic group necessary to form a lactam ring; A is a simple linkage, --CO--, --COO(CH2)--n, or --CONR2 (CH2)--n where R2 is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group, and n is an integer of 1-6; and ##STR47## where X is a hydrogen atom or a group that can be eliminated upon reaction with the oxidation product of a color developing agent; and R1 and R2 each are a hydrogen atom or a substituent.
2. A silver halide photographic material according to claim 1 wherein R1 in the general formula (I) is a hydrogen atom, A is a simple linkage or ##STR48## and Z is the atomic group necessary to form a 5- or 6-membered lactam.
3. A silver halide photographic material according to claim 2 wherein ##STR49## in the general formula (I) is a pyrrolidone or oxazolidone residue.
4. A silver ha photo material according to claim 3 wherein said ##STR50## is a pyrrolidone residue.
5. A silver halide photographic material according to claim 1 wherein said polymer has a weight average molecular weight of no more than 20,000.
6. A silver halide photographic material according to claim 5 wherein said polymer has a weight average molecular weight of no more than 10,000.
7. A silver halide photographic material according to claim 1 wherein said polymer is present in an amount of 0.01-10 g per mole of silver in terms of the weight of the repeating unit represented by the general formula (I).
8. A silver halide photographic material according to claim 7 wherein said polymer is present in an amount of 0.02-5.0 g per mole of silver in terms of the weight of the repeating unit represented by the general formula (I).
9. A silver halide photographic material according to claim 8 wherein said polymer is present in an amount of 0.1-2.0 g per mole of silver in terms of the weight of the repeating unit represented by the general formula (I).
10. A silver halide photographic material according to claim 1 wherein said polymer is incorporated in a silver halide emulsion layer.
11. A silver halide photographic material according to claim 1 which contains a benzoyl type yellow coupler represented by the following general formula (YB-1): ##STR51## where R1, R2 and R3 which may be the same or different each represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, an alkyl group, an aryl group, an alkoxy group, an acylamino group, a carbamoyl group, an alkoxycarbonyl group, a sulfonamido group or a sulfamoyl group, R4, R5, R6 and R7 which may be the same or different each represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, an alkoxy group, an aryloxy group, an acylamino group or a sulfonamido group; W is a halogen atom, an alkyl group, an alkoxy group, an aryloxy group or a dialylamino group; and X1 is a hydrogen atom or a group that can be eliminated.
12. A silver halide photographic material according to claim 11 wherein X1 is a group represented by the following general formula (YB-II): ##STR52## where Y1 denotes the non-metallic group necessary to form a 5- or 6-membered ring.
13. A silver halide photographic material according to claim 1 wherein R2 is represented by the following general formula (M-X):
--R.sup.1 --SO.sub.2 --R.sup.2                             (M-X)
where R1 is an alkylene group and R2 is an alkyl, cycloalkyl or aryl group.
14. A silver halide photographic material according to claim 1 which contains a naphtholic cyan coupler represented by the following general formula (CN): ##STR53## where R1 is --CONR4 R5, --NHCOR4, --NHCOOR6, --NHSO2 R6, --NHCONR4 R5 or --NHSO2 NR4 R5 ; R2 is a monovalent group; R3 is a substituent; X is a hydrogen atom or a group that is eliminated upon reaction with the oxidation product of an aromatic primary amino developing agent; l is 0 or 1; m is an integer of 0-3; R4 and R5 each represents a hydrogen atom, an aromatic group, an aliphatic group or a heterocyclic group; R6 is an aromatic group, an aliphatic group or a heterocyclic group; when m is 2 or 3, R3 may be the same or different and may combine with each other to form a ring; R4 and R5, R2 and R3 or R2 and X may combine with each other to form a ring; when l is 0, then m is 0, R1 is --CONHR7 and R7 is an aromatic group.
15. A silver halide photographic material according to claim 1 which contains a ureidophenolic cyan coupler represented by the following general formula (CU): ##STR54## where X is a hydrogen atom or a group that can be eliminated upon coupling with an aromatic primary amino color developing agent; R1 is an aryl group or a heterocyclic group; R2 is an aliphatic group or an aryl group; each of the groups denoted by R1 and R2 may form a dimer or higher oligomers; R1 and R2, taken either independently or in combination, have the shape or size necessary to impart non-diffusing property to the coupler represented by the general formula (CU) or a dye formed of said coupler.
16. A silver halide photographic material according to claim 15 wherein R2 has a substituent represented by the following general formula (CU-II): ##STR55## where J is an oxygen or sulfur atom; k is an integer of 0-4; l is 0 or 1; when k is 2 or more, R4 may be the same or different; R3 is an alkylene group; and R4 is a substituent.
17. A silver halide photographic material according to claim 1 wherein the total thickness of said photographic constituent layers is in the range of 5-18 μm.
18. A silver halide photographic material according to claim 17 wherein the total thickness of said photographic constituent layers is in the range of 10-16 μm.
19. A silver halide photographic material according to claim 1 wherein the thickness of layers as measured from the top surface of said photographic material to the bottom of the silver halide emulsion layer situated the closest to the support is no more than 14 μm.
20. A silver halide photographic material according to claim 19 wherein the thickness of layers as measured from the top surface of said photographic material to the bottom of a silver halide emulsion layer that has sensitivity to a different color of light than said bottommost emulsion layer and which is situated the second closest to the support is not greater than 10 μm.
21. The photographic material of claim 1 wherein said lactam ring is an oxazolidone ring.
22. The photographic material of claim 1 wherein said lactam ring is pyrrolidone ring.
US07/593,496 1987-08-31 1990-10-03 Silver halide photographic material Abandoned USH1127H (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US07/593,496 USH1127H (en) 1987-08-31 1990-10-03 Silver halide photographic material

Applications Claiming Priority (6)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP62-218257 1987-08-31
JP21825787 1987-08-31
JP3790488 1988-02-19
JP63-37904 1988-02-19
US23651288A 1988-08-24 1988-08-24
US07/593,496 USH1127H (en) 1987-08-31 1990-10-03 Silver halide photographic material

Related Parent Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US23651288A Continuation 1987-08-31 1988-08-24

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
USH1127H true USH1127H (en) 1993-01-05

Family

ID=27289639

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US07/593,496 Abandoned USH1127H (en) 1987-08-31 1990-10-03 Silver halide photographic material

Country Status (1)

Country Link
US (1) USH1127H (en)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5576165A (en) * 1993-07-07 1996-11-19 Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. Silver halide color photographic material

Citations (14)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2495918A (en) 1948-08-28 1950-01-31 Du Pont Poly-n-vinyl lactam photographic silver halide emulsions
US3021213A (en) 1958-04-14 1962-02-13 Gen Aniline & Film Corp Photographic materials and method of producing the same
US3060028A (en) 1961-01-19 1962-10-23 Gen Aniline & Film Corp Stabilized photographic silver halide emulsions containing iodine complexes of poly-n-vinyl-2-oxazolidinones
GB1070688A (en) 1964-08-13 1967-06-01 Fuji Shashin Film Kabushik Kai Improvements in or relating to colour photography
US3342592A (en) 1963-06-14 1967-09-19 Du Pont Photographic color films and processes
US3505067A (en) 1967-03-16 1970-04-07 Gaf Corp Alkylated poly-n-vinyl-lactam stabilized silver halide emulsions
US3518086A (en) 1967-04-18 1970-06-30 Gaf Corp Silver halide emulsions for lithography
US3770450A (en) 1971-04-27 1973-11-06 Fuji Photo Film Co Ltd Direct positive silver halide photographic photosensitive material
US4045226A (en) 1975-07-17 1977-08-30 Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. Image forming process by color intensification
US4120725A (en) 1976-02-24 1978-10-17 Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. Color photographic light-sensitive material
US4431730A (en) 1981-02-18 1984-02-14 Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. Process for the preparation of internal latent image type silver halide photographic emulsions
US4818667A (en) 1986-01-20 1989-04-04 Konishiroku Photo Industry Co., Ltd. Silver halide color photographic material
US4833069A (en) 1986-01-23 1989-05-23 Konishiroku Photo Industry Co., Ltd. Silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material comprising a specified cyan coupler combination and total film thickness
US4916053A (en) 1985-06-25 1990-04-10 Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. Silver halide photographic material

Patent Citations (14)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2495918A (en) 1948-08-28 1950-01-31 Du Pont Poly-n-vinyl lactam photographic silver halide emulsions
US3021213A (en) 1958-04-14 1962-02-13 Gen Aniline & Film Corp Photographic materials and method of producing the same
US3060028A (en) 1961-01-19 1962-10-23 Gen Aniline & Film Corp Stabilized photographic silver halide emulsions containing iodine complexes of poly-n-vinyl-2-oxazolidinones
US3342592A (en) 1963-06-14 1967-09-19 Du Pont Photographic color films and processes
GB1070688A (en) 1964-08-13 1967-06-01 Fuji Shashin Film Kabushik Kai Improvements in or relating to colour photography
US3505067A (en) 1967-03-16 1970-04-07 Gaf Corp Alkylated poly-n-vinyl-lactam stabilized silver halide emulsions
US3518086A (en) 1967-04-18 1970-06-30 Gaf Corp Silver halide emulsions for lithography
US3770450A (en) 1971-04-27 1973-11-06 Fuji Photo Film Co Ltd Direct positive silver halide photographic photosensitive material
US4045226A (en) 1975-07-17 1977-08-30 Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. Image forming process by color intensification
US4120725A (en) 1976-02-24 1978-10-17 Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. Color photographic light-sensitive material
US4431730A (en) 1981-02-18 1984-02-14 Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. Process for the preparation of internal latent image type silver halide photographic emulsions
US4916053A (en) 1985-06-25 1990-04-10 Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. Silver halide photographic material
US4818667A (en) 1986-01-20 1989-04-04 Konishiroku Photo Industry Co., Ltd. Silver halide color photographic material
US4833069A (en) 1986-01-23 1989-05-23 Konishiroku Photo Industry Co., Ltd. Silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material comprising a specified cyan coupler combination and total film thickness

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
Chem. Abstr. No. 90:213193k, 1979.

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5576165A (en) * 1993-07-07 1996-11-19 Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. Silver halide color photographic material

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
JPS62253167A (en) Silver halide photographic sensitive material
EP0515128A1 (en) Silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material
JP3283917B2 (en) Color photographic material containing magenta coupler, inhibitor releasing coupler and carbonamide compound
EP0286431B1 (en) Light-sensitive silver halide color photographic material
JPH0417410B2 (en)
EP0157363B1 (en) Silver halide photografic material
EP0536889A1 (en) Silver halide color photographic light sensitive material
US4994351A (en) Silver halide color photographic material
US4945034A (en) Silver halide photographic light-sensitive material
EP0631181A1 (en) Color photographic elements containing a combination of pyrazolone and pyrazoloazole couplers
US4576909A (en) Silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material
USH1127H (en) Silver halide photographic material
US4954431A (en) Silver halide photographic light-sensitive material
EP0486216B1 (en) Light-sensitive silver halide photographic material
JPS6224250A (en) Silver halide color photographic sensitive material
EP0306246A2 (en) Silver halide photographic material
EP0297836A2 (en) Silver halide light-sensitive color photographic material excellent in the color reproducibility and method for processing the same
EP0530011A1 (en) Silver halide colour photographic light sensitive material
JP2613395B2 (en) Direct positive silver halide photographic material
JPS63167358A (en) Silver halide photographic sensitive material having good spectral absorption characteristic of formed dye
JPH0715562B2 (en) Silver halide color photosensitive material
JPH05150429A (en) Silver halide color photographic sensitive material
EP0566207A1 (en) Coupler blends in color photographic materials
JPH0450835A (en) Silver halide photographic sensitive material
JPH0572692A (en) Silver halide color photographic sensitive material

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
STCF Information on status: patent grant

Free format text: PATENTED CASE