Photoimaging material

• US 6,387,584 B1
• Filed: 12/11/1996
• Issued: 05/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ono, Makoto, Ikeda, Kensuke
• Primary Examiner(s): ANGEBRANNDT, MARTIN J
• Application Number:
  US08/764,397
• Time in Patent Office: 1,980 Days
• Field of Search: 503/219, 503/225, 503/216, 503/226, 430/138, 430/336, 430/337, 430/350, 430/351, 430/348
• US Class Current: 430/138
• CPC Class Codes: G03C 1/002 containing microcapsules with photopolymerisable compositions G03F7/002
• CPC Class Codes: G03C 1/675 Compositions containing polyhalogenated compounds as photosensitive substances for photopolymerisable or photocrosslinkable compositions G03F7/028, covered by G03C1/72
• CPC Class Codes: G03C 1/732 Leuco dyes

Abstract

A photoimaging material which comprises a support and a photoimaging layer formed on the support. The photoimaging layer comprises microcapsules and a reducing agent present outside the microcapsules. The microcapsules contain a leuco dye capable of oxidative color formation, a photooxidizing agent and an organosulfur antioxidant. The reducing agent is 2,2′-methylenebis(4-methyl-6-t-butylphenol) or 2,2′-methylenebis(4-ethyl-6-t-butylphenol). The photoimaging material is capable of thermal image fixing based on a method of forming color by radical oxidation of various leuco dyes to the corresponding dyes with a photooxidizing agent. The photoimaging material is not prone to background coloring (fogging) during storage under dark or light conditions after image fixing, and does not foul the inside of the apparatus during thermal image fixing.

Claims

1. A photoimaging material comprising a support having thereon a photoimaging layer comprising microcapsules and a reducing agent present outside the microcapsules,

wherein the microcapsules contain a leuco dye capable of oxidative color formation, a photooxidizing agent and an organosulfur antioxidant, and

wherein the reducing agent is 2,2′

-methylenebis(4-methyl-6-t-butylphenol) or 2,2′

-methylenebis(4-ethyl-6-t-butylphenol).

2. The photoimaging material as claimed in claim 1, wherein the organosulfur antioxidant is selected from the group consisting of dilauryl 3,3′

-thiodipropionate, dimyristyl 3,3′

-thiodipropionate, distearyl 3,3′

-thiodipropionate, ditridecyl 3,3′

-thiodipropionate and pentaerythrityl tetrakis(3-laurylthiopropionate).

3. The photoimaging material as claimed in claim 1, wherein the photoimaging layer contains the organosulfur antioxidant in an amount of from 0.01 to 2 moles per mole of the reducing agent.

4. The photoimaging material as claimed in claim 1, wherein the photooxidizing agent is selected from the group consisting of a lophine dimer compound, an azide compound, a pyridinium compound and an organohalogen compound.

5. The photoimaging material as claimed in claim 1, wherein the photooxidizing agent comprises a combination of a lophine dimer compound and an organohalogen compound.

6. The photoimaging material as claimed in claim 1, wherein the microcapsules have a volume-average size of 10 μ

m or less.

7. The photoimaging material as claimed in claim 1, wherein the photoimaging layer contains the reducing agent in an amount of from 1 to 100 moles per mole of the photooxidizing agent.

8. The photoimaging material as claimed in claim 1, wherein the photoimaging layer further contains a thermal fixing accelerator.

9. The photoimaging material as claimed in claim 1, wherein the solids content of the photoimaging layer is from 1 to 30 g/m².

10. The photoimaging material as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reducing agent is 2,2′

-methylenebis(4-methyl-6-t-butylphenol).

11. The photoimaging material as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reducing agent is 2,2′

-methylenebis(4-ethyl-6-t-butylphenol).

12. The photoimaging material as claimed in claim 1, wherein the photoimaging layer contains the leuco dye and the photooxidizing agent in a molar ratio of from 10:

1 to 1;

10.