Method for preparing silver halide emulsion

• US 6,096,495 A
• Filed: 07/10/1998
• Issued: 08/01/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Konica Corporation (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Corporation (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Kasai, Shigetami, Okada, Hisatake
• Primary Examiner(s): Huff, Mark F.
• Application Number:
  US09/113,935
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• Field of Search: 430/569, 430/567
• US Class Current: 430/569
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 2025/9122 from the circumference to the center
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/41 Emulsifying
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/23 Mixing by intersecting jets
• CPC Class Codes: G03C 1/0051 Tabular grain emulsions
• CPC Class Codes: G03C 1/015 Apparatus or processes for the preparation of emulsions coating, drying G03C1/74 ; G03C1/07 takes precedence; special processes for tabular grains G03C1/0051
• CPC Class Codes: G03C 2001/0055 Aspect ratio of tabular grains in general; High aspect ratio; Intermediate aspect ratio; Low aspect ratio
• CPC Class Codes: G03C 2001/03529 Coefficient of variation
• CPC Class Codes: G03C 2001/0357 Monodisperse emulsion
• CPC Class Codes: G03C 2001/03594 Size of the grains
• CPC Class Codes: G03C 2200/09 Apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G03C 2200/43 Process

Abstract

A method for preparing a silver halide emulsion is disclosed, comprising introducing a silver salt solution and a halide solution through separate introduction tubes, mixing the silver salt and halide solutions to react a silver salt and a halide to form silver halide grains and discharging a reaction mixture solution through a discharge tube by the use of a mixing apparatus in which the introduction tubes and the discharge conduit are linked together so that all center axes of the introduction and discharge tubes intersect at a single point, wherein the silver salt solution and the halide solution are independently introduced at a linear velocity of not less than 4.0 m/sec and a Reynolds number of not less than 3,000.

Claims

1. A method for preparing a silver halide emulsion, comprising:

introducing a silver salt solution and a halide solution through separate introduction tubes, said silver salt solution containing a maximum of 0.01 mol per liter of a silver salt,

mixing the silver salt and halide solutions to react a silver salt and a halide to form silver halide grains,

discharging a reaction mixture solution through a discharge conduit and

using a mixing apparatus in which the introduction tubes and the discharge conduit are linked together so that all center axes of the introduction tubes and discharge conduit intersect at a single point,

wherein the silver salt solution and the halide solution are independently introduced at a linear velocity of not less than 4.0 m/sec and a Reynolds number of not less than 3,000.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the Reynolds number is not less than 10,000.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the linear velocity is not less than 5.0 m/sec.

4. The method claim 1, wherein the silver salt solution and the halide solution are independently introduced at a linear velocity of not less than 10.0 m/sec and the reaction mixture solution is discharged at a linear velocity of not less than 20 m/sec.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a difference in an inner diameter between the introduction tubes is not more than 10%.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a difference in an inner diameter between the introduction tubes and the discharge conduit is not more than 10%.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a difference in a molar concentration between the silver salt solution and the halide solution is not more than 10%.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the silver salt solution and the halide solution are each introduced through the introduction tubes by the use of a pump having a pulsating flow within ±

2% of the average flow rate.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the silver halide grains formed have an average grain size of not more than 0.05 μ

m and a variation coefficient of grain size of not more than 20%, and at least 50% of the total number of the silver halide grains formed being accounted for by tabular grains having two parallel twin planes.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the silver halide grains formed are discharged through the discharge conduit and then introduced into a reaction vessel to allow the silver halide grains to grow therein, and wherein the silver potential in the discharge conduit is continuously measured and after variation of the silver potential reaches 2.0 mV or less, the silver halide grains which are discharged from the discharge conduit, are introduced into the reaction vessel.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein at least 50% of the total projected area of the silver halide grains which have been grown in the reaction vessel is accounted for by monodisperse tabular grains having an aspect ratio of not less than 5, an average grain diameter of not less than 0.6 μ

m and a variation coefficient of grain size of not more than 20%.