Abstract: A thermal developing unit for the thermal development of photothermographic media which comprises a means for thermally developing photothermographic media by placing said media in contact with a heated element within a case, a first and second opening for venting gas from said case, said first opening being connected to an area surrounding said heated element said second opening being connected to an area within said unit where said media passes after it has been thermally developed, and in a path by which said gas can be vented through at least one of said first or second openings from said case there is a filter cartridge comprising a filter housing containing a chemical filtration media having no bonded absorbent partculates therein.

Abstract: Metal oxidizing agents (such as silver oxide or silver nitrate) are added to a solution of organic chemicals which comprise an unwanted level of organic reducing agents (either aqueous or organic solutions in which the metal oxidizing agent does not dissolve) and the metal oxidizing agent oxidizes at least some portion of said organic reducing agents. Because the metal oxidizing agent is insoluble in the solution, it is readily removed (e.g., by filtration or sedimentary techniques) to leave a solution with reduced amounts of reducing agents therein. This process is particularly useful for purifying phthalazine, behenic acid, and other toners, the component forming the counterion with silver ion in forming the light-insensitive silver source material and any other additives and raw materials which can be dissolved in a solvent medium in which the metal oxidizing agent is not highly soluble.

Abstract: A process for thermally developing a photothermographic media within an enclosed processor comprising the steps of transporting a photothermographic element with a latent image thereon to a thermal heating element comprising a rounded heating element such as a drum, placing said photothermographic media with a latent image into contact with said drum, heating said photothermographic media with a latent image thereon with said drum to generate a photothermographic media with a visible image thereon, then removing said media with a visible image thereon, said process comprising venting gas from at least two separate areas within said processor, said at least two areas including a first vent at a position above the axis of the heating drum, and a second vent at a position sufficiently near a point on the drum where the photothermographic media with a visible image thereon is removed from the drum so that at least some vapor material leaving said photothermographic media with a visible image thereon exits through

Abstract: Metal oxidizing agents (such as silver oxide or silver nitrate) are added to a solution of organic chemicals which comprise an unwanted level of organic reducing agents (either aqueous or organic solutions in which the metal oxidizing agent does not dissolve) and the metal oxidizing agent oxidizes at least some portion of said organic reducing agents. Because the metal oxidizing agent is insoluble in the solution, it is readily removed (e.g., by filtration or sedimentary techniques) to leave a solution with reduced amounts of reducing agents therein. This process is particularly useful for purifying phthalazine, behenic acid, and other toners, the component forming the counterion with silver ion in forming the light-insensitive silver source material and any other additives and raw materials which can be dissolved in a solvent medium in which the metal oxidizing agent is not highly soluble.