Abstract: There is described a process for improving the yield of difunctional ester in a process of recovering monomer components from condensation-type polyester resins such as polyethylene terephthalate by converting terephthalyl monomers and oligomers present in ethylene glycol still bottoms to terephthalate diester, such as dimethyl terephthalate. This is accomplished by treating the terephthalyl monomers and oligomers with a mixture of an alcohol and an alkali metal hydroxide at a temperature up to the boiling point of the alcohol.

Abstract: There is described a process for removing dimethyl terephthalate contaminants from ethylene glycol. The process comprises distilling ethylene glycol in the presence of an ester exchange catalyst to cause reaction between ethylene glycol and dimethyl terephthalate to form compounds that are less volatile than either ethylene glycol or dimethyl terephthalate, such as bishydroxyethyl terephthalate.

Abstract: There is described a process for the depolymerization of polyethylene terephthalate into component monomers at ambient pressure. Monomer solids that deposit during cooling, as part of the recovery operation, are removed using a scraped wall heat exchanger.

Abstract: Multilayer color photographic elements are described which contain a release compound that during photographic processing provides an imagewise distribution of a nucleophile which can react with a uniform distribution of a sulfinate blocked dye moiety contained in the element to release a solubilized unblocked dye.

Abstract: A polyester photographic film support having a surface coated with a subbing layer which comprises a mixture of gelatin and a polymer where the gelatin to polymer ratio is less than 97:3 and such that the combination of dry coverage and weight fraction of gelatin in the mixture satisfies the equation: C+1.32.times.Z.gtoreq.0.825, where C is dry coverage in g/m.sup.2 and Z is the weight fraction of gelatin, and the polymer comprises:a) from 1 to 60 weight percent of recurring units derived from a vinyl monomer having a primary amine addition salt component or aminostyrene addition salt component;b) from 0 to 50 weight percent of recurring units derived from a hydrophilic vinyl monomer; andc) from 20 to 98 weight percent of recurring units derived from a hydrophobic nonionic vinyl monomer.

Abstract: Improved photopolymerization initiator systems are comprised of a spectral sensitizer that sensitizes in the ultraviolet or visible regions of the spectrum and an N-aryl, O-aryl or S-aryl polycarboxylic acid co-initiator. The improved initiator systems are incorporated in photo-polymerizable compositions containing one or more addition-polymerizable ethylenically-unsaturated compounds to form compositions suitable for the preparation of radiation-sensitive layers in lithographic printing plates adapted to be imagewise-exposed with ultraviolet- or visible-light-emitting lasers such as argon-ion lasers and frequency doubled Nd:YAG lasers. Such plates are able to effectively meet the dual requirements of very high photospeed and very good shelf-life required in computer-to-plate systems.

Abstract: Photographic elements are disclosed having a first coupler represented by the formula:COUP.sub.1 -T-INHwhereinCOUP.sub.1 is a coupler moiety,T is a timing group bonded to INH through a substituted or unsubstituted methylene group contained in T and bonded to COUP.sub.1 through an O, S, or N atom contained in T,and INH is a development Inhibitor moiety, andwherein the T-INH group is able to undergo electron transfer along a conjugated system therein to cleave INH after T-INH is cleaved from COUP.sub.1, anda second coupler represented by the formula:COUP.sub.2 -(TIME).sub.n -S-R.sub.1 -R.sub.2wherein COUP.sub.2 is a coupler moiety, TIME is a timing group, n is 0 or 1, R.sub.1 is a divalent linking group that does not include a heterocyclic ring attached directly to S, and R.sub.2 is a water solubilizing group.

Abstract: A highly useful photographic film base comprises a miscible blend of poly(ethylene naphthalate) and a poly(ether imide) in specified proportions. Photographic elements prepared with this film base have a lesser tendency to take core-set and post process curl than do elements prepared with poly(ethylene naphthalate) film base.

Abstract: There is described a process for the depolymerization of polyethylene terephthalate into component monomers using a reactor in which the polyethylene terephthalate is a discontinuous phase which contacts a continuous phase of superheated methanol vapor.

Abstract: There are described intermediates for the preparation of known pyrazoloazole photographic magenta dye forming couplers and processes for making and using these intermediates. The intermediates are low molecular weight compounds represented by the structure: ##STR1## wherein: R, X, R.sup.1 and Y are defined herein.The process for making these intermediates involves diazotizing a 5-amino-1H-pyrazole to produce a 5-diazo-1H-pyrazole, then condensing the diazotized product with an active methine or methylene compound having a pKa of 14 or less to produce a substituted hydrazone and then subjecting the hydrazone to cyclization and reduction, in either order.

Abstract: Dye fade in photographic images prepared from a silver halide photographic element having a light sensitive silver halide emulsion layer and a pyrazoloazole dye forming coupler is reduced by using a combination of stabilizer compounds as shown in the specification.

Abstract: Dye fade in photographic images prepared from a silver halide photographic element having a light sensitive silver halide emulsion layer and a pyrazoloazole dye forming coupler is reduced by using a combination of stabilizer compounds of formula S, formula I and optionally formula R.

Abstract: There are described reversal photographic elements containing magenta dye-forming couplers that yield dye images that particularly lend themselves to retouching. The photographic element comprises a pyrazoloazole magenta dye forming coupler having a cleavable ballast group joined to the remainder of the molecule by one or two electrophilic cleavage groups which can be removed with a specialized processing composition after reversal processing.

Abstract: A process is described for recovering cellulose triacetate from scrap photographic film, using aqueous solutions free of organic solvents, by the steps of:a) reducing the film to segments of handlable size;b) oxidizing the film with an oxidizing agent comprising an alkali metal permanganate and a strong acid;c) oxidizing the product of step b) with an alkali metal hypochlorite to remove stain from iron compound and yellow dye;d) bleaching the product of step c) with an alkali metal metabisulfite in an acidic environment; ande) recovering cellulose triacetate.The recovered cellulose triacetate prepared in accordance with this invention has essentially the same spectral absorption at 400 nm as virgin cellulose triacetate and can be used to prepare photographic film base of acceptable color purity.

Abstract: There are described intermediates for the preparation of known pyrazoloazole photographic magenta dye forming couplers and processes for making and using these intermediates. The intermediates are low molecular weight compounds represented by the structure: ##STR1## wherein: R, X, R.sup.1 and Y are defined herein.The process for making these intermediates involves diazotizing a 5-amino-1H-pyrazole to produce a 5-diazo-1H-pyrazole, then condensing the diazotized product with an active methine or methylene compound having a pKa of 14 or less to produce a substituted hydrazone and then subjecting the hydrazone to cyclization and reduction, in either order.

Abstract: Novel imidazo[3,2-a]imidazole cyan dye-forming couplers and photographic elements containing them are described. The couplers are represented by the following structure: ##STR1## wherein: EWG.sub.1 and EWG.sub.2 each independently represent an electron withdrawing group;X is hydrogen or a coupling-off group; andR.sup.1 is hydrogen or a substituent group.

Abstract: There is described a process and optimal conditions for depolymerizing polyester into its components and separating the components using apparatus comprising:a dissolver for receiving polyester,a reactor for depolymerizing polyester into components, anda rectifier for separating polyester components; the process comprising the steps of:a) adding polyester to the dissolver and combining it with melt from the reactor and liquid from the rectifier to reduce the chain length of the polyester,b) transferring reduced chain length polyester from the dissolver to the reactor,c) passing super-heated methanol through the reactor to depolymerize polyester into its constituent monomers;d) transferring depolymerization products from the reactor to the rectifier; ande) separating the depolymerization products in the rectifier into a vapor phase containing component monomers and a liquid phase containing higher molecular weight materials.

Abstract: Novel cyclic azole couplers and photographic elements containing them are described. The couplers are represented by the following structure: ##STR1## wherein: COUP is a cyclic azole coupler moiety;R.sub.1, R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 independently represent hydrogen or a substituent;L is a linking group joining the azole ring and the aryleneoxy group;G is a bi-valent linking group; andm is an integer of 0 to 2.

Abstract: There is described a process and optimal conditions for depolymerizing polyester into its components and separating the components using apparatus comprising:a dissolver for receiving polyester,a reactor for depolymerizing polyester into components, anda rectifier for separating polyester components; the process comprising the steps of:a) adding polyester to the dissolver and combining it with melt from the reactor and liquid from the rectifier to reduce the chain length of the polyester,b) transferring reduced chain length polyester from the dissolver to the reactor,c) passing super-heated methanol through the reactor to depolymerize polyester into its constituent monomers;d) transferring depolymerization products from the reactor to the rectifier; ande) separating the depolymerization products in the rectifier into a vapor phase containing component monomers and a liquid phase containing higher molecular weight materials.

Abstract: There is described a process for avoiding dioxane formation during the depolymerization of polyester into glycol and ester components by passing superheated methanol through a reaction mixture containing polyester, oligomer and contaminants that are capable of forming sulfuric or halogen acids, the process comprising the step of adding sufficient base to neutralize any acid formed from the contaminants.