Abstract: A photothermographic material is disclosed, comprising a support, an image forming layer containing organic silver salt grains, light sensitive silver halide grains and a reducing agent and a surface protective layer on the image forming layer, wherein the element composition on the surface of image forming layer side, obtained by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy exhibits a ratio of the number of carbon elements to the number of oxygen elements of not more than 9.

Abstract: There is disclosed an oxidation-reduction imaging forming composition comprising an aqueous based dispersion of (i) nanoparticulate silver carboxylate particles having on the surface of the particles a surface modifier which is a phosphoric acid ester and (ii) an organic reducing agent. In particular, the surface modifiers can be mixtures of mono- and di-esters of orthophosphoric acid and hydroxyl-terminated, oxyethylated long-chain alcohols or oxyethylated alkyl phenols or derivatives thereof. Also disclosed are various compositions including the dispersions including oxidation-reduction imaging forming compositions, thermographic elements and photothermographic compositions and elements. The preferred carboxylate is a silver salt of a long chain fatty acid such as silver behenate.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provides a novel polyhalogenomethylsulfonyl compound which can be used for providing a thermally processed image recording material which has a high sensitivity, gives less fog, and has a good stock stability and a good image storage stability of dark and high temperature or light storage. According to the present invention, there is provided a polyhalogenomethylsulfonyl compound represented by the following formula (1), or salts thereof, or hydrates or solvates thereof: wherein Z1 and Z2 each independently represents a halogen atom; A represents a hydrogen atom or a halogen atom; and R1 represents an alkyl group having from 2 to 12 carbon atoms, which may have one or more substituents, an alkenyl group having from 2 to 12 carbon atoms, which may have one or more substituents, or an alkinyl group having from 2 to 12 carbon atoms, which may have one or more substituents.

Abstract: A polyester film is disclosed, exhibiting a minimum value of not more than 0.15 with respect to the tan &dgr; value obtained at a frequency of 0.01 Hz within the range of 100 to 160° C., the tan &dgr; being determined in a tensile viscoelasticity measurement. A photographic support and photothermographic material using this polyester film are also disclosed, which exhibits superior dimensional stability even when subjected to thermal development at a high temperature and little roll set curl when used in a roll form.

Abstract: An emulsion comprising a substantially light-insensitive organic silver salt, photosensitive silver halide in catalytic association with the substantially light-insensitive organic silver salt and a binder, wherein the emulsion further comprises a polyhalide compound selected from the group consisting of quaternary ammonium polyhalides, quaternary phosphonium polyhalides and ternary sulphonium polyhalides, which satisfies a test specified in the description, or a product of a reaction between the polyhalide compound and a reducing species present in said emulsion; a process for producing a photothermographic recording material, capable of image formation without preliminary heating prior to exposure, comprising a photo-addressable thermally developable element incorporating the emulsion; and a photothermographic recording process utilizing the photothermographic recording material.

Abstract: A heat-developable photosensitive material having: (a) at least one layer of photosensitive image-forming layer containing an organic silver salt, a photosensitive silver halide, a reducing agent and an organic binder; and (b) a functional layer containing a binder and a solid dispersion; the binder consisting of a water-dispersed thermoplastic resin, and the solid dispersion being made of a precursor of a photographically useful compound capable of releasing the photographically useful compound when heated to 100° C. or higher and not higher than heat development temperature is disclosed.

Abstract: A (photo)thermographic recording material comprising a substantially colourless support and a (photo-addressable) thermosensitive element containing a substantially light-insensitive organic silver salt, an organic reducing agent for the substantially light-insensitive organic silver salt in thermal working relationship therewith (, photosensitive silver halide is catalytic association with the substantially light-insensitive organic silver salt) and a binder, characterized in that a blue pigment or dye having a maximum absorption wavelength of from 550 to 700 nm is present in the thermosensitive element and/or any other layer on either side of the support which provides a background for viewing in transmission images produced with the (photo) thermographic recording material; and a (photo)thermographic recording process therefor.

Abstract: A photothermographic material is disclosed, comprising on a support an organic silver salt, a photosensitive silver halide, a reducing agent, a binder and a compound represented by the following formula R1—SO2—O—L1—COOM1. The photothermographic material may further comprise a compound respresented by following formula: R2—COOM2 or R3—CO—L2—COOM3.

Abstract: Growth and clustering of halftone dots is a drawback in the reproduction of halftoned continuous tone images on prior art recording materials. Certain thermographic materials show a local microdot shrink effect called negative cross-talk upon neighboring microdots when exposing a microdot. Exposing these materials according to the frequency modulated halftone data of an image results in better tone rendering and lower noise due to lower dot clustering or negative cross-talk characteristics.

Abstract: A heat-developable photosensitive material which comprises, on the same side of a support, at least (a) a photosensitive silver halide, (b) a reducible silver salt, (c) a phenol compound represented by the following general formula (1), (d) a binder, and (e) a coupler compound: wherein V1 to V8 each independently represent a hydrogen atom or a functional group; L represents a bridging group consisting of —CH(V9)— or —S—; V9 represents a hydrogen atom or a functional group. The heat-developable photosensitive material causes extremely low fog and is suitable for photomechanical reproduction.

Abstract: A method of preparing a photothermographic material, comprising a support having thereon at least a layer, the method comprising the steps of: coating a coating solution containing an organic silver salt, a photosensitive silver halide and a reducing agent on the support to form a coated material and subjecting the coated material to a thermal treatment at a temperature of 40 to 120° C. under a tension of 0.01 to 30 kg/cm2.

Abstract: This invention relates to a silver halide photothermographic imaging element comprising at least one silver halide emulsion layer, said silver halide element further comprising an amido compound of Formula I wherein INH is a development inhibitor; LINK is a linking or timing group and m is 0, 1 or 2; and R1 and R2 independently are a hydrogen atom or an aliphatic, aromatic or heterocyclic group, or R1 and R2 together with the nitrogen to which they are attached represent the atoms necessary to form a 5 or 6 membered ring or multiple ring system, or R1 and R2 are independently a —C(═O)(LINK)m-INH group, or are substituted with a —NR3C(═O)-(LINK)m-INH , with R3 being defined the same as R1 or R2, with the proviso that only one of R1 and R2 can be a hydrogen atom. It further relates to methods of image formation utilizing said element.

Abstract: Photothermographic materials provide images having improved image stability due to the presence of certain image stabilizing compounds in a silver-containing layer. These image stabilizing compounds are fluorenone, fluorene, coumarin, naphthalic acid imide, pyrazoline, or anthracene compounds. In particular, they reduce image browning that may occur from the presence of various components in the materials.

Abstract: A photothermographic material comprising, on one side of a support, at least one kind of photosensitive silver halide, a light insensitive silver salt of an organic acid, a reducing agent for silver ions and a binder, wherein the photosensitive silver halide has a mean grain size of 0.001 &mgr;m to 0.06 &mgr;m and the material comprises at least two kinds of organic polyhalogenated compounds at least one of which is an organic polyhalogenated compound represented by the following formula (1): wherein Z1 and Z2 independently represent a halogen atom, X1 represents a hydrogen atom or an electron withdrawing group, Y1 represents —CO— group or —SO2— group, Q represents an arylene group or a divalent heterocyclic group, L represents a bridging group, W1 and W2 independently represent a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, an aryl group or a heterocyclic group, and n represents 0 or 1.

Abstract: There is disclosed an aqueous photothermographic composition comprising a) a photosensitive silver halide emulsion precipitated in a water dispersible cationic starch peptizing agent and b) an oxidation-reduction imaging forming composition comprising (I) a colloidal dispersion of silver compound particles and (ii) an organic reducing agent. The use of a starch peptizing agent reduces the fog in an element using the composition upon thermal processing.

Abstract: A heat-developable recording material having, at least on one side and the same side of the support, (a) reducible silver salt, (b) a reducing agent other than a compound represented by the general formula (1) below, (c) a binder, and (d) at least one compound represented by the general formula (1) below; content of the compound represented by the general formula (1) being 0.01 to 100 mol % with respect to the reducing agent: [where in the general formula (1), R1, R2, R3, X1 and X2 independently represent a hydrogen atom; halogen atom; or substituent which is bound to the benzene ring via a carbon atom, oxygen atom, nitrogen atom, sulfur atom or phosphorus atom. At least either X1 or X2 represents a group represented as —NR4R5, where R4 and R5 independently represent a group selected from a hydrogen atom, alkyl group and the like.

Abstract: A thermally developable photosensitive material comprising organic silver salts, photosensitive silver halides, and reducing agents. The thermally developable photosensitive material has a support having am moisture content of not more than 0.5 percent by weight.

Abstract: A non-photosensitive core-shell silver salt can be used in thermographic and photothermographic imaging compositions and materials. This core-shell silver salt includes one or more silver salts in the core, at least one of which is different from the one or more silver salts used in the shell. The molar ratio of the different silver salts in the core and shell is from about 0.01:1 to about 100:1.

Abstract: High contrast thermographic and photothermographic materials comprise a barrier layer to prevent migration of diffusible by-products resulting from high temperature development. The barrier layer comprises a film-forming polymer(s) that reacts with or acts as a physical barrier to diffusible by-products resulting from development including formic acid, hydrazo compounds, azo compounds, diimide compounds, hydrazine, and water.

Abstract: Thermographic and photothermographic materials comprise a barrier layer to provide physical protection and to prevent migration of diffusible imaging components and by-products resulting from high temperature development. The barrier layer comprises a film-forming, water-insoluble aromatic polyester that has a molecular weight of at least 10,000 g/mole and is capable of retarding diffusion of mobile chemicals such as fatty acids, developers and toners. This polymer can also be present in admixture with another film-forming polymer to provide a clear and scratch-resistance surface.

Abstract: Thermographic and photothermographic materials comprise a surface barrier layer to provide physical protection and to prevent migration of diffusible imaging components and by-products resulting from high temperature development. The barrier layer comprises a film-forming acrylate or methacrylate polymer(s) that has a molecular weight of at least 8000 g/mole and comprises epoxy functionality and is capable of retarding diffusion of mobile chemicals such as fatty acids. This polymer is preferably present in admixture with at least one other film-forming polymer to provide a clear and scratch-resistance surface film.

Abstract: A heat-developable photographic material which contains a particular class of polyhalogenated organic compound having a water-soluble group in one or more layers on the side of the image-forming layer. The heat-developable photographic material can be obtained at a low cost and has much reduced fog and excellent storage stability.

Abstract: A photothermographic image recording element has on a support a photosensitive layer containing a non-photosensitive organic silver salt, a photosensitive silver halide, and a binder, wherein the organic silver salt has been formed in the presence of a tertiary alcohol. The photosensitive layer and/or a layer disposed adjacent thereto contains a nucleating agent. Alternatively, the photosensitive layer contains the silver halide which has been formed independent from the organic silver salt and added during preparation of a coating solution, and the main binder is a polymer latex having a Tg of −30° C. to 40° C. The element shows low fog, high contrast, and high sensitivity.

Abstract: A photothermographic material which contains on one side of a support (a) a catalytically active amount of a photocatalyst, (b) a reducing agent, (c) a reducible silver salt, and (d) a binder, wherein a matting agent having a softening temperature of from 100 to 500° C. is contained at least on one side of the support.

Abstract: Image recording materials, especially photothermographic light-sensitive image recording materials, that comprise a compound of formula (1) to acquire excellent image storage stability: 1

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a heat-developable photosensitive material of improved fluctuation of photographic performance (sensitivity, Dmin) arisen from fluctuation of development temperature condition (temperature, time) and storage time after heat development.

Abstract: The present application discloses a heat developable photosensitive material having on a support a non-photosensitive silver salt, a photosensitive silver halide, and a binder, which has a layer formed by coating a coating composition comprising an emulsion containing both of the photosensitive silver halide and a low molecular weight gelatin having a molecular weight of 500 to 60,000. The heat developable photosensitive material provides excellent photographic properties such as low fog, high Dmax, high sensitivity, and the like, as well as good coating surface.

Abstract: A surface treatment method for enhancing hydrophobicity of the surface of a film support is disclosed, comprising subjecting at least one side of the surface to a gas-discharge plasma treatment in a gas phase atmosphere comprising (a) an inert gas comprising argon or helium and (b) a reactive gas comprising a hydrocarbon gas or fluorinated hydrocarbon gas. There is also disclosed a photothermographic material by the use of the support having been subjected to the surface treatment.

Abstract: A photothermographic material comprising on one surface side of the support at least one kind of photosensitive silver halide, a photo-insensitive organic silver salt, a reducing agent for a silver ion, and a binder, and having an electroconductive layer, wherein the surface resistivity (under the atmosphere of 25° C., 25% RH) is 1011&OHgr; or less, and the optical density at the exposure wavelength of the surface side containing the photosensitive silver halide is from 0.2 to 3.0.

Abstract: A silver halide photographic light-sensitive material comprising a dye represented by the following formula (1) or formula (2): wherein A1 and B1 each represent substituents other than a naphthalene group; and A2 and B2 represent substituents.

Abstract: A photothermographic image forming element contains a non-photosensitive silver salt which has been formed by simultaneously adding and mixing previously prepared solutions of silver nitrate and an organic acid alkali metal salt. A photosensitive layer containing a photosensitive silver halide or a layer disposed adjacent thereto or both contain a nucleating agent. The element produces a low fog, high contrast image.

Abstract: Provided is a method for producing image using a photothermographic material in which the photothermographic material is exposed with a laser light using an image producing apparatus having a recording section and heat developing section, and then developed by heating, the photothermographic material containing elsewhere at least on one plane of the a support at least one kind of photosensitive silver halide, a non-photosensitive organic silver salt, a reducing agent for silver ion and a binder; characterized in that the photosensitive silver halide contains an iridium compound, and the image producing apparatus has an exposure corrective control means for correctively controlling exposure output according to a temperature profile of photothermographic material within the apparatus. This method can provide an image with a stable quality while not being affected by environmental conditions during the image production.

Abstract: A thermally processed image forming material having on one side of a support at least one image recording layer containing at least one kind of non-photosensitive organic silver salt, a reducing agent for silver ion, and a binder; characterized by having at least one non-recordable layer formed by coating and drying a coating liquid containing a dicarboxylic acid and having a pH of 3.5 or above was disclosed. The thermally processed image forming material has an improved property of the coated surface and prevent coating streaks.

Abstract: A photothermographic element has a non-photosensitive organic silver salt, a photosensitive silver halide, and a binder on a support. A polymer latex constitutes at least 50% by weight of the binder in an image forming layer containing the photosensitive silver halide. The image forming layer has been formed by applying a coating solution in which at least 60% by weight of a solvent is water. The image forming layer contains a specific compound as a nucleating agent and has been formed by applying a coating solution having added thereto a water dispersion of the compound. The element exhibits a high contrast, long-term storage stability, and no increase of Dmin upon printing to PS plates.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a heat-developable photosensitive material of less heat development temperature and humidity dependency, which is unlikely to be affected by uneven temperature distribution in heat development apparatuses and humidity condition, and can stably form uniform images, in particular, a heat-developable photosensitive material of improved stability of coating solutions overtime, which can form uniform ultrahigh contrast images without unevenness, which are suitable for mechanical processes, and exhibit suppressed fluctuation of photographic performance depending on the storage condition.

Abstract: An infrared photosensitive element comprising: a support bearing an infrared radiation-sensitive silver halide material; and an antihalation layer comprising a basic antistatic agent, an acid having a pKa less than 4.2 in an amount equal to at least 1.0% mole equivalent of acid to 1 mole equivalent of amine in said antistatic agent, and sufficient antihalation dye to provide a transmission optical density at the wavelength of maximum absorbence of said dye of at least 0.2 after coating.

Abstract: A silver halide photothermographic material is disclosed, comprising a support having thereon a light-sensitive layer and light-insensitive layer, wherein the light-sensitive layer or the light-insensitive layer comprises a heteroatom-containing macrocyclic compound, and the light-sensitive layer comprising a sensitizing dye exhibiting maximum sensitivity at a wavelength of 600 nm or more.

Abstract: A heat-developable photosensitive material which comprises, on at least one of the surfaces of a support, (a) a photosensitive silver halide, (b) a reducible silver salt, (c) a reducing agent, (d) an ultrahigh contrast agent, (e) a binder, and (f) at least one compound represented by the following formula (1) on a single surface: wherein, X represents a halogen atom; R1 represents a substituted aryl group or a heterocyclic group; R2 represents a functional group; r is an integer of from 0 to 4; and when r≧2, plural groups represented by R2 may be the same or different and they may bind to each other to form a 5- to 7-membered non-aromatic or aromatic carbon ring.

Abstract: A photothermographic material for laser exposure excellent in granularity and having no blocking trouble, which comprises a support having provided thereon at least one image formation layer containing at least one silver halide, and at least one non-image recording protective layer provided on the side far away from the support of said image formation layer, wherein said protective layer contains a matte agent composed of an inorganic compound and an organic polymer compound.

Abstract: A photothermographic material having an image-forming layer that contains at least a non-photosensitive silver salt of an organic acid, a photosensitive silver halide, a nucleating agent and a binder on a support, and a protective layer at a position remoter from ,the support compared with the image-forming layer, which shows a saturation swelling time of 60 seconds or longer in distilled water at 21° C. According to the present invention, there is provided a photothermographic material for photographic art, in particular, for scanners, image setters and so forth, which shows low humidity dependency during development for developed character line width and can secure high image density (Dmax) even in a low humidity environment.

Abstract: An infrared sensitized photothermographic silver halide element comprising a support layer having on at least one surface thereof a photothermographic composition comprising a binder, a light insensitive silver source, a reducing agent for silver ion and infrared radiation sensitive preformed silver halide grains having number average particle size of <0.10 micron with at least 80% of all grains with ±0.05 microns of the average, in combination with an antihalation layer having an absorbance ratio of IR absorbance (before exposure)/visible absorbance (after processing) >30, and an IR absorbance of at least 0.3 within the range of 750-1400 and an optical density of less than 0.03 in the visible region.

Abstract: An image forming method is disclosed, comprising the steps of processing image data or setting an exposure condition so that an image size is enlarged or reduced, imagewise exposing a photothermographic material to laser to form an image enlarged or reduced based on the processed image data or the set exposure condition, and subjecting the exposed photothermographic material to thermal development, in which the photothermographic material comprises an organic silver salt, a photosensitive silver halide, a reducing agent, and a contrast increasing agent or a quaternary onium salt.

Abstract: A photothermographic material disclosed, comprising on a support a light sensitive layer containing an organic silver salt, light sensitive silver halide grains and a solvent, wherein the organic silver salt comprises tabular organic silver salt grains exhibiting an average needle ratio of not less than 1.1 and less than 10.0, the light sensitive silver halide grains having been subjected to chemical sensitization.

Abstract: An infrared sensitized photothermographic silver halide element comprising a support layer having on at least one surface thereof a photothermographic composition comprising a binder, a light insensitive silver source, a reducing agent for silver ion and infrared radiation sensitive preformed silver halide grains having number average particle size of <0.10 micron with at least 80% of all grains with ±0.05 microns of the average, in combination with an antihalation layer having an absorbance ratio of IR absorbance (before exposure)/visible absorbance (after processing) >30, and an IR absorbance of at least 0.3 within the range of 750-1400 and an optical density of less than 0.03 in the visible region.

Abstract: A heat-developable image-recording material comprising, on a support, a silver-supplying layer containing an organic silver salt, a reducing agent and an organic binder, and a separate photosensitive layer containing a photosensitive silver halide, the heat-developable image-recording material further containing an electron-transfer agent; and a method for forming an image by heat development comprising; imagewise exposing the heat-developable image-recording material and then heat-developing, whereby development of the photosensitive layer forms a silver image in the silver-supplying layer.

Abstract: A thermographic recording element having an image forming layer contains an organic silver salt, a reducing agent, an optional photosensitive silver halide, and a specific nucleating agent. The element has high Dmax, high sensitivity, satisfactory contrast, low fog, and minimal dependency of photographic properties on developing temperature.

Abstract: A photothermographic or thermographic material comprising a support having provided thereon or thereabove at least one image forming layer having its thermal expansion coefficient in the range of 1.0 to 1.5 and having provided on or above said at least one image forming layer a layer which has its thermal expansion coefficient of at least 0.9 and lower than 1.0 and comprises at least one kind of polymer latex having a glass transition temperature of not higher than a heat development temperature, said layer which has its thermal expansion coefficient of at least 0.9 and lower than 1.0 being farther from the support than the at least one image forming layer.

Abstract: A heat developable photosensitive material having on a support a non-photosensitive sliver salt, a photosensitive sliver halide, and a binder, which has an image forming layer containing the photosensitive sliver halide and comprises cyclic ketone or cyclic imine compound having a specific structure in combination with a nucleation agent on the side that the image forming layer is formed. This heat developable photosensitive material is an excellent high contrast sensitive material having a good stability.

Abstract: In a photothermographic material comprising an organic silver salt, a silver halide, and a reducing agent, a specific hydrazine derivative is contained as a nucleating agent. The material has high sensitivity, high Dmax and good image quality.

Abstract: There is disclosed a nanoparticulate dispersion of a silver carboxylate particles having on the surface of the particles a surface modifier which is a nonionic oligomeric surfactant based on vinyl polymer with an amido function. In particular, the surface modifier is acrylamide, methacrylamide or derivatives thereof. Also disclosed are various compositions including the dispersions including oxidation-reduction imaging forming compositions, thermographic elements and photothermographic compositions and elements. The preferred carboxylate is a silver salt of a long chain fatty acid such as silver behenate.