Abstract: Photothermographic materials are coated with thermally developable imaging layers on both sides of the support. Such materials can be arranged in association with one or more phosphor intensifying screens capable of providing emission at a predetermined wavelength in imaging assemblies. These imaging assemblies can be exposed to X-radiation and thereby form a latent image in the photothermographic material that can eventually be heat developed and used for medical diagnosis. The photothermographic materials contain an opaque material that acts as a crossover control agent that absorbs radiation at the predetermined wavelength, for example at 300 to 450 nm, and has limited absorption at higher wavelengths. When the photothermographic material is heated, the opaque material loses its opacity. Additional crossover control agents, such as UV-absorbing compounds, can also be added to the support or to an antihalation layer.

Abstract: Thermally developable materials including photothermographic and thermographic materials having an outermost backside layer that includes amorphous silica particles having a narrow particle size distribution. The narrower particle size distribution provides reduced haze and increased surface roughness that reduces blocking and machine feeding at comparable weight percent. The materials can also include conductive layers underneath the outermost backside layer.

Abstract: Black-and-white, aqueous-based, silver halide-containing photothermographic materials have increased stability after imaging with the incorporation of at least 0.0002 mol/m2 of a halogen-substituted tetraazaindene compound.

Abstract: Imageable elements that contain silicate-coated polymer particles in the imageable layer, stacks of these elements, and methods for forming images using these elements are disclosed. The elements do not stick to each other when stacked without interleaving paper, and only one imageable element is lifted at a time when the imageable elements are handled by automatic processing equipment. Blanket piling is not observed when silicate-coated particles are present in the imageable layer.

Abstract: The present invention provides a patterned substrate and methods of forming patterns on a substrate, in which a thermally sensitive composition composed of an inorganic nanopaste is applied onto a surface of a substrate to form a layer. The layer may be imaged and developed to form a pattern area that adheres to the surface of the substrate. The patterned substrate may be used in the production of printing plates and masks.

Abstract: A photothermographic emulsion is prepared by chemically sensitizing silver halide grains formed by oxidative decomposition of a diphenylphosphine sulfide compound on or around the silver halide grains. This procedure uses a unique sequence of steps and provides increased photographic speed and manufacturing reproducibility.

Abstract: Imageable elements, useful as on press developable lithographic printing plate precursors, are disclosed. The elements comprise an imageable layer over a substrate and an one or more adhesion promoting ingredients. The imageable layer comprises a polymerizable compound and a polymeric binder. The adhesion promoting ingredients are titanium chelate and/or co-polymers of a monomer having a polethylene oxide side chain with a monomer having either an acidic group or an anhydride group that has been ring opened to form an acidic group or groups.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of forming an image on a printing plate, in which a nanopaste is imagewise ink-jet applied onto a surface of a substrate. The layer is then treated to form an image area. The method is useful in the formation of printing plates and radiation opaque masks.

Abstract: The present invention provides an aqueous regenerator for addition to an aqueous developer that contains an organic solvent, a dispersing agent and a weak base, and has a pH of between about 8 and less than about 13. The aqueous regenerator includes an organic solvent, dispersing agent, and an effective amount of a strong base such that the regenerator has a greater pH than the developer into which the regenerator is to be added.

Abstract: Non-photosensitive direct thermographic materials have a support and thermally sensitive imaging layer(s) and an outermost “protective” layer comprising: (a) a solid polymer derived from one or more olefins and from one or more ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable carboxylic acids or esters or anhydrides thereof, and (b) a branched ?-olefin polymer, and (c) optionally, an additional wax.

Abstract: Backside conductive layers with increased conductive efficiency can be provided for thermally developable materials by formulating hydrophilic metal oxide clusters in a hydrophobic environment using low shear mixing conditions. The dry thickness and coating weight of the conductive layer are thereby reduced.

Abstract: A photothermographic emulsion is prepared by chemically sensitizing silver halide grains by oxidative decomposition of an organic sulfur-containing compound on or around the silver halide grains. This procedure uses a unique sequence of steps and provides increased photographic speed and manufacturing reproducibility. The resulting photothermographic emulsion can be used to prepare photothermographic materials.

Abstract: Novel silver compounds can include a primary core of a photosensitive silver halide and a shell covering the primary core. This shell includes one or more non-photosensitive silver salts, each silver salt including an organic silver coordinating ligand. Other novel silver compounds are homogeneous silver salts of organic silver coordinating ligands throughout (non-core-shell). Still other silver compounds can include a primary core of a non-photosensitive metal salt and a shell covering the primary core. This shell includes one or more non-photosensitive silver salts, each silver salt including an organic silver coordinating ligand. These types of silver compounds can be used as sources of reducible silver ions in thermally developable imaging materials including thermographic and photothermographic materials.

Abstract: The present invention provides a positive-working, thermally imageable element generally comprising a multi-layered imageable coating. The invention provides an imageable element comprising a substrate, an ink-receptive top layer, and an underlayer, the underlayer including a specific copolymer described herein. The copolymer can be a polymer comprising constitutional units derived from: a) a monomer having a cyclic urea group; b) a monomer comprising an N-substituted maleimide; c) a (meth)acrylamide or (meth)acrylate monomer; and d) a (meth)acrylic acid or vinyl benzoic acid monomer. In another embodiment, the copolymer can be a polymer comprising constitutional units derived from: a) a monomer having a cyclic urea group; b) a (meth)acrylic acid or vinyl benzoic acid monomer; c) and a (meth)acrylonitrile monomer. The imageable element may be used to prepare a lithographic printing plate that is resistant to press chemistry and can optionally be baked to increase press runlength.

Abstract: Thermally developable imaging materials have an outermost protective layer that is composed of one or more hydrophilic film-forming components. The predominant film-forming component is a positively-charged latex polymer that has cationic groups. The charged latex polymer is present as latex particles that have prepared in the presence of a non-ionic or cationic stabilizer in an amount of at least 0.5% (by weight) that has an HLB value of 7 to 20. The nonionic or cationic stabilizer becomes associated with the latex polymer particles. Both thermographic and photothermographic materials can be prepared with such protective layers.

Abstract: Thermally developable materials for thermography or photothermography have imaging layers on one or both sides of the support. Buried conductive underlayers are disposed under these imaging layers on one or both sides of the support, and these conductive underlayers include conductive metal oxide(s) and optionally a smectite clay or lithium salt.

Abstract: The addition of certain aliphatic and non-aromatic carbocyclic polycarboxylic acids provides an improvement in natural age keeping properties of organic-solvent based photothermographic materials. This improvement is particularly useful in organic-based photothermographic materials containing phosphors in the photothermographic emulsion layer. Phosphor-containing materials can be particularly useful for direct radiographic imaging using X-radiation.

Abstract: Thermally imageable elements comprising a masking layer and a substrate are disclosed. The masking layer contains a sulfated polymer or a mixture of sulfated polymers and absorbs both infrared and ultraviolet radiation. When the masking layer is on the substrate, the imageable element may be imaged and developed to form a photomask. When the imageable element additionally comprises a photosensitive layer, the masking layer may be imaged and developed to form an integral photomask. The imageable elements that comprise a photosensitive layer are useful as flexographic printing plate precursors.

Abstract: Infrared absorbing compounds are disclosed. The compounds are co-polymers that comprise covalently attached ammonium, sulfonium, phosphonium, and/or iodonium cations, and infrared absorbing cyanine anions that have two to four sulfonate groups and/or sulfate groups, and/or infrared absorbing oxonol anions. The infrared absorbing compounds can be used in aqueous developable lithographic printing plate precursors.

Abstract: Co-polymers that contain siloxane groups, imageable elements that comprise the co-polymers, and methods for forming images by imaging and developing the imageable elements are disclosed. The imageable elements are useful as lithographic printing plate precursors that can be developed with water or with fountain solution.