WO1992007299A1 - Method of forming a photographic image - Google Patents
Method of forming a photographic image Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO1992007299A1 WO1992007299A1 PCT/EP1991/001974 EP9101974W WO9207299A1 WO 1992007299 A1 WO1992007299 A1 WO 1992007299A1 EP 9101974 W EP9101974 W EP 9101974W WO 9207299 A1 WO9207299 A1 WO 9207299A1
- Authority
- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- colour
- bath
- amplifier
- seconds
- photographic
- Prior art date
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Classifications
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
- G03C—PHOTOSENSITIVE MATERIALS FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC PURPOSES; PHOTOGRAPHIC PROCESSES, e.g. CINE, X-RAY, COLOUR, STEREO-PHOTOGRAPHIC PROCESSES; AUXILIARY PROCESSES IN PHOTOGRAPHY
- G03C7/00—Multicolour photographic processes or agents therefor; Regeneration of such processing agents; Photosensitive materials for multicolour processes
- G03C7/30—Colour processes using colour-coupling substances; Materials therefor; Preparing or processing such materials
- G03C7/3017—Colour processes using colour-coupling substances; Materials therefor; Preparing or processing such materials with intensification of the image by oxido-reduction
Definitions
- This invention relates to a method of forming a , photographic colour image and in particular, to a
- colour materials are developed to produce a silver image (which may contain only small amounts of silver) and then treated with a redox amplifying solution to form a dye image.
- the redox amplifying solution contains a reducing agent, for
- image dye 20 (usually contained in the photographic material) to form image dye.
- the amount of dye formed depends on the time of treatment or the availability of colour coupler rather than the amount of silver in the image as is the case in conventional colour development
- Suitable oxidising agents include peroxy compounds including hydrogen peroxide, cobalt (III) complexes including cobalt hexammine complexes, and periodates. Mixtures of such compounds can also be used.
- the amplifying solution contains both an oxidising agent and a reducing agent it is inherently k unstable.
- the best reproducibility for such a process is obtained by using a "one shot" system, where the oxidant is added to the developer and the solution
- a process for producing a photographic colour image which comprises processing an imagewise exposed photographic silver halide colour material in a colour developer bath and a separate redox amplification bath wherein the processing time in the amplification bath is less than 60 seconds and preferably less than 30, more preferably less than 15 seconds, especially from 1 to 15 seconds.
- the short residence time also means that in a processing machine the amplifier tank can be relatively small in size. This also means that if the amplifier does need to be discarded its volume is low. Furthermore, since the colour developer solution is now stable, a conventional machine tank may be used rather than a specially designed tank which is necessary for a combined developer/amplifier solution.
- the amplifier solution comprises an oxidant which may be hydrogen peroxide or a compound which provides hydrogen peroxide. It may also contain a buffer to keep the pH alkaline, preferably at from 10 to 11, for example potassium carbonate. If desired the amplifier solution could contain overflow from the developer solution at full strength or diluted. This would use what would otherwise be discarded as effluent.
- the amplifier solution could for example merely comprise an aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution at from 0.01 to 0.20, preferably 0.02 to 0.10, molar which could optionally contain potassium carbonate at from 0.005 to 0.30, preferably 0.007 to 0.15, molar.
- the material may be bleached and fixed or merely fixed.
- the colour photographic material to be processed may be of any type but will preferably contain low amounts of silver halide.
- 2 coverages are in the range 5 - 50 mg/m , preferably in
- the material may comprise the emulsions, sensitisers, couplers, supports, layers, additives, etc. described in
- the photographic material comprises a resin-coated paper support and the emulsion layers comprise more than 80%, preferably more than 90% silver chloride and are more preferably
- the amplification solution contains hydrogen peroxide and a colour developing agent.
- the photographic materials can be single colour materials or multicolour materials. Multicolour materials contain dye image-forming units sensitive to each of the three primary regions of the spectrum. Each unit can be comprised of a single emulsion layer or of multiple emulsion layers sensitive to a given region of the spectrum.
- the layers of the materials, including the layers of the image-forming units, can be arranged in various orders as known in the art.
- a typical multicolour photographic material comprises a support bearing a yellow dye image-forming unit comprised of at least one blue-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer having associated therewith at least one yellow dye-forming coupler, and magenta and cyan dye image-forming units comprising at least one green- or red-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer having associated therewith at least one magenta or cyan dye-forming coupler respectively.
- the material can contain additional layers, such as filter layers.
- Acetic Acid (glacial) 20.0 ml Water to 1.0 Litre pH @ °C 4.8
- Amplifier (1) water + 5ml/l 100 vol hydrogen peroxide
- Amplifier (3) water + 2.5 g/1 potassium carbonate +
- a silver chloride colour paper containing a total of 13 mg/m ⁇ silver was exposed to a colour wedge step tablet and processed.
- the densities (xlOO) obtained are listed below.
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- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Silver Salt Photography Or Processing Solution Therefor (AREA)
Abstract
A process for producing a photographic colour image which comprises processing an imagewise exposed photographic silver halide colour material in a colour developer bath and a separate redox amplification bath wherein the processing time in the amplification bath is less than 60 seconds.
Description
METHOD OF FORMING A PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGE
This invention relates to a method of forming a , photographic colour image and in particular, to a
5 method of forming such an image by a redox amplification process.
Redox amplification processes have been described, for example in British Specification Nos. 1,268,126, 1,399,481, 1,403,418 and 1,560,572. In
10 such processes colour materials are developed to produce a silver image (which may contain only small amounts of silver) and then treated with a redox amplifying solution to form a dye image. The redox amplifying solution contains a reducing agent, for
15 example a colour developing agent, and an oxidising agent which is more powerful than silver halide and which will oxidise the colour developing agent in the presence of the silver image which acts as a catalyst. Oxidised colour developer reacts with a colour coupler
20 (usually contained in the photographic material) to form image dye. The amount of dye formed depends on the time of treatment or the availability of colour coupler rather than the amount of silver in the image as is the case in conventional colour development
25 processes. Examples of suitable oxidising agents include peroxy compounds including hydrogen peroxide, cobalt (III) complexes including cobalt hexammine complexes, and periodates. Mixtures of such compounds can also be used.
30 Since the amplifying solution contains both an oxidising agent and a reducing agent it is inherently k unstable. The best reproducibility for such a process is obtained by using a "one shot" system, where the oxidant is added to the developer and the solution
35 mixed and used immediately (or after a short built in delay) and then discarded. As a result chemical costs
are a maximum and the whole system is unattractive especially for a minilab environment where minimum effluent is required. An alternative to this approach is to use a two bath system wherein the exposed material is treated first in a colour developer bath wherein a dye and silver image is formed and second in an amplifier bath comprising the oxidising agent. By using separate baths it is hoped to keep the colour developing agent and oxidant apart to lengthen the life of the solutions. In practice, however, it is found that the carry-over of colour developer into the amplifier bath (essential for the amplification process to work) occurs due to it being leached out into the amplifier bath. This effect is often referred to as "seasoning".
It is the purpose of the present invention to reduce such seasoning effects in a two bath redox amplification process.
According to the present invention there is provided a process for producing a photographic colour image which comprises processing an imagewise exposed photographic silver halide colour material in a colour developer bath and a separate redox amplification bath wherein the processing time in the amplification bath is less than 60 seconds and preferably less than 30, more preferably less than 15 seconds, especially from 1 to 15 seconds.
Due to the short residence time in the amplifier bath minimal leaching out of colour developing agent occurs thus increasing the life of the amplifier bath considerably and, at best, more or less indefinitely. The short residence time also means that in a processing machine the amplifier tank can be relatively small in size. This also means that if the amplifier does need to be discarded its volume is low.
Furthermore, since the colour developer solution is now stable, a conventional machine tank may be used rather than a specially designed tank which is necessary for a combined developer/amplifier solution. The amplifier solution comprises an oxidant which may be hydrogen peroxide or a compound which provides hydrogen peroxide. It may also contain a buffer to keep the pH alkaline, preferably at from 10 to 11, for example potassium carbonate. If desired the amplifier solution could contain overflow from the developer solution at full strength or diluted. This would use what would otherwise be discarded as effluent.
The amplifier solution could for example merely comprise an aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution at from 0.01 to 0.20, preferably 0.02 to 0.10, molar which could optionally contain potassium carbonate at from 0.005 to 0.30, preferably 0.007 to 0.15, molar.
After dye image formation the material may be bleached and fixed or merely fixed.
The colour photographic material to be processed may be of any type but will preferably contain low amounts of silver halide. Preferred silver halide
2 coverages are in the range 5 - 50 mg/m , preferably in
2 the range 10 - 25 mg/ (as silver) . The material may comprise the emulsions, sensitisers, couplers, supports, layers, additives, etc. described in
Research Disclosure, December 1978, Item 17643, published by Kenneth Mason Publications Ltd, Dudley Annex, 12a North Street, Emsworth, Hants P010 7DQ, U.K. In a preferred embodiment the photographic material comprises a resin-coated paper support and the emulsion layers comprise more than 80%, preferably more than 90% silver chloride and are more preferably
Preferably the amplification solution contains hydrogen peroxide and a colour developing agent. The photographic materials can be single colour materials or multicolour materials. Multicolour materials contain dye image-forming units sensitive to each of the three primary regions of the spectrum. Each unit can be comprised of a single emulsion layer or of multiple emulsion layers sensitive to a given region of the spectrum. The layers of the materials, including the layers of the image-forming units, can be arranged in various orders as known in the art.
A typical multicolour photographic material comprises a support bearing a yellow dye image-forming unit comprised of at least one blue-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer having associated therewith at least one yellow dye-forming coupler, and magenta and cyan dye image-forming units comprising at least one green- or red-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer having associated therewith at least one magenta or cyan dye-forming coupler respectively. The material can contain additional layers, such as filter layers.
The following example is included for a better understanding of the invention.
EXAMPLE
The following processing solutions were used:
DEVELOPER (D)
l-Hydroxyethylidene-l,l-diphosphoric acid 1.2 g
Potassium Carbonate
Potassium Sulphate
Potassium Bromide
CD3 (colour developing agent)
Diethylhydroxylamine
FIXER (F)
Sodium Thiosulphate 10.0 g Sodium Sulphite 20.0 g
Acetic Acid (glacial) 20.0 ml Water to 1.0 Litre pH @ °C 4.8
AMPLIFIER
Amplifier (1) water + 5ml/l 100 vol hydrogen peroxide
Amplifier (2) l/8th strength developer (D) + 5 ml/1
100 vol hydrogen peroxide
Amplifier (3) water + 2.5 g/1 potassium carbonate +
5ml/l 100 vol hydrogen peroxide
Amplifier (4) (3) after 24 hours Amplifier (5) (4) + 5 ml/1 fresh 100 vol hydrogen peroxide
Amplifier (6) (3) after 144 hours Amplifier (7) (6) + 5ml/l 100 vol hydrogen peroxide
The processing cycle at 32 °C was as follows:
A silver chloride colour paper containing a total of 13 mg/m^ silver was exposed to a colour wedge step tablet and processed. The densities (xlOO) obtained are listed below.
NEUTRAL Dmax NEUTRAL Dmin
It can be seen that the short amplification time has rendered the process relatively insensitive to the constitution of that bath. The recovery of activity by the simple addition of hydrogen peroxide to the amplifier is also demonstrated - the recovery is not total as the same, unreplenished developer was used throughout the experiment. The high neutral readings are due to the silver image still being present as no bleach was used in the processing.
Claims
1. A process for producing a photographic colour image which comprises processing an imagewise exposed photographic silver halide colour material in a colour developer bath and a separate redox amplification bath wherein the processing time in the amplification bath is less than 60 seconds.
2. A process as claimed in claim 1 in which the processing time is less than 30 seconds.
3. A process as claimed in claim 1 in which the processing time is less than 15 seconds.
4. A process as claimed in claim 3 in which the processing time is in the range from 1 to 15 seconds.
5. A process as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4 in which the amplifier solution comprises hydrogen peroxide or a compound capable of releasing hydrogen peroxide.
6. A process as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5 in which the amplifier solution is alkaline.
7. A process as claimed in any of claims 1 to 6 in which the amplifier solution has a pH in the range 10 to 11.
8. A process as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7 in which the photographic material is based on silver halide emulsions comprising at least 90% silver chloride.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
GB9022780.2 | 1990-10-19 | ||
GB909022780A GB9022780D0 (en) | 1990-10-19 | 1990-10-19 | Method of forming a photographic image |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
WO1992007299A1 true WO1992007299A1 (en) | 1992-04-30 |
Family
ID=10684026
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/EP1991/001974 WO1992007299A1 (en) | 1990-10-19 | 1991-10-17 | Method of forming a photographic image |
Country Status (2)
Country | Link |
---|---|
GB (1) | GB9022780D0 (en) |
WO (1) | WO1992007299A1 (en) |
Cited By (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
WO1993001524A1 (en) * | 1991-07-11 | 1993-01-21 | Kodak Limited | Method for forming a photographic colour image |
EP0635759A1 (en) * | 1993-07-24 | 1995-01-25 | Kodak Limited | Method of photographic processing |
EP0636933A1 (en) * | 1993-07-30 | 1995-02-01 | Kodak Limited | Method of photographic processing |
EP0849632A1 (en) * | 1996-12-19 | 1998-06-24 | Eastman Kodak Company | Process for the development of photographic materials |
Citations (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3765891A (en) * | 1972-05-23 | 1973-10-16 | Eastman Kodak Co | Process for developing photographic elements |
FR2207298A1 (en) * | 1972-11-20 | 1974-06-14 | Eastman Kodak Co | |
US4084969A (en) * | 1975-12-12 | 1978-04-18 | Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. | Color photographic process |
US4094682A (en) * | 1975-10-24 | 1978-06-13 | Konishiroku Photo Industry Co., Ltd. | Method for processing light-sensitive silver halide photographic material |
EP0447656A1 (en) * | 1990-03-22 | 1991-09-25 | Agfa-Gevaert AG | Silver halide colour photographic material and its developing process |
-
1990
- 1990-10-19 GB GB909022780A patent/GB9022780D0/en active Pending
-
1991
- 1991-10-17 WO PCT/EP1991/001974 patent/WO1992007299A1/en unknown
Patent Citations (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3765891A (en) * | 1972-05-23 | 1973-10-16 | Eastman Kodak Co | Process for developing photographic elements |
FR2207298A1 (en) * | 1972-11-20 | 1974-06-14 | Eastman Kodak Co | |
US4094682A (en) * | 1975-10-24 | 1978-06-13 | Konishiroku Photo Industry Co., Ltd. | Method for processing light-sensitive silver halide photographic material |
US4084969A (en) * | 1975-12-12 | 1978-04-18 | Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. | Color photographic process |
EP0447656A1 (en) * | 1990-03-22 | 1991-09-25 | Agfa-Gevaert AG | Silver halide colour photographic material and its developing process |
Cited By (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
WO1993001524A1 (en) * | 1991-07-11 | 1993-01-21 | Kodak Limited | Method for forming a photographic colour image |
US5324624A (en) * | 1991-07-11 | 1994-06-28 | Eastman Kodak Company | Redox amplification method of forming a photographic color image |
EP0635759A1 (en) * | 1993-07-24 | 1995-01-25 | Kodak Limited | Method of photographic processing |
EP0636933A1 (en) * | 1993-07-30 | 1995-02-01 | Kodak Limited | Method of photographic processing |
EP0849632A1 (en) * | 1996-12-19 | 1998-06-24 | Eastman Kodak Company | Process for the development of photographic materials |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
GB9022780D0 (en) | 1990-12-05 |
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