[0001] This invention relates to photographic silver halide processing solutions and particularly
to colour developing solutions.
[0002] It is well understood that the parameters of colour development, such as time, temperature,
component content, pH, etc have to be carefully controlled in order to obtain consistent
sensitometric results. This usually means that there has to be close control over,
for example, the temperature and replenishment of colour developing agent. The cost
of such control is clearly significant in a commercial operation.
[0003] US Patent 4 465 762 discloses silver halide colour materials containing a pyrazolidinone
of formula (I). The present pyrazolidinones can only be derived by selecting substituents
from two separate lists. No specific such compounds are described.
[0004] US Patent 4 266 002 describes the use of pyrazolidinones as an electron transfer
agent in a dye diffusion transfer element. No chromogenic dye development is described.
[0005] US Patent 4 483 919 describes a photographic colour material containing a compound
that releases a pyrazolidinone upon development. The release is therefore imagewise.
[0006] US Patent 4 155 763 describes colour developing solutions comprising an aromatic
amine colour developing agent and a 1-aryl-pyrazolidone having two substituents at
the 4-position of the pyrazolidone. The advantages are said to include faster image
dye formation and a more stable colour developing solution. The English language abstract
of Japanese application 62/178251 describes a colour developing solution comprising
a para-phenylenediamine colour developing agent and an auxiliary developing agent
including,
inter alia, 1-phenyl-pyrazolidone. Image formation is described as "highly sensitive" and forming
"excellent gradation". It is also said to be "free from the influence of agitation.
[0007] The above two references indicate that the use of a second developing agent in colour
developing solutions provides higher developing activity as it would in black and
white developer solutions wherein, for example, the activity of a hydroquinone developing
agent is very much increased by the addition of Metol or 1-phenyl-pyrazolidone.
[0008] The present invention provides a method of developing an imagewise exposed silver
halide colour material to provide sensitometric results of reduced variability which
comprises
carrying out colour development in an aqueous colour developing solution containing
a colour developing agent in the presence of one or a combination of the pyrazolidinone
silver halide developing agents of the general formula:

wherein
R¹ and R² are each hydrogen or an alkoxy group having 1-4 carbon atoms, and
R³ and R⁴ are each hydrogen or an alkyl group having 1-10 carbon atoms,
with the proviso that either one of R¹ or R² is an alkoxy group or either one of R³
or R⁴ is an alkyl group of 3-7 carbon atoms,
incorporated in said silver halide colour material in an inactive form from which
the active form is released in the alkaline developer solution,
characterised in that the nature of the pyrazolidinone silver halide developing agent(s) is such that in
low activity conditions development is accelerated while in high activity conditions
development is decelerated thus reducing the variability in the density versus LogE
curve (the characteristic curve) caused by changes in development time.
[0009] The pyrazolidinone developing agent may also be present in the colour developer solution.
[0010] In the present invention (unlike the prior art) not only are the low activity conditions
accelerated by the presently used ETA's but also high activity conditions are decelerated
thus leading to less variation in sensitometric results under both high and low activity
conditions. This is seen graphically as a compression of the spread of the characterisitic
curves as shown in, say, Figs 2 and 3 compared to Fig 1.
[0011] When it is incorporated in the photographic material it is in a form which is inactive
until processing takes place. For example it could be inactivated by a blocking group
which is hydrolysed off when the material is immersed in the developing solution (which
is usually alkaline).
[0012] A number of ETA's have been examined for their effectiveness in lowering sensitometric
sensitivity to process variables. The reduction of sensitivity to development time
is used as an example. Three broad types of behaviour for different ETA's can be observed
and these are as follows:
(1) A reduction of sensitometric spread with control of Dmin increase caused by time
and maintenance of aim contrast. See Fig 10 of the accompanying drawings in which
the solid lines represent the control and the broken lines the effect of the added
ETA. This convention is also used in Figs 11 and 12.
(2) A reduction of sensitometric spread with control of Dmin increase caused by time
and an increase of contrast. See Fig 11 of the accompanying drawings.
(3) A modest reduction in sensitometric spread but with little Dmin control, a reduction
in contrast and still a considerable variability. See Fig 12 of the accompanying drawings.
These results are clearly not acceptable particularly with respect to the increase
in Dmin. The use of Type (3) ETA's alone is therefore not part of the present invention.
Type (1) is the preferred behaviour exhibited by the preferred compounds. Type (2)
is another useful and beneficial behaviour and could, in certain cases, be preferred
over Type (1) if an increase in contrast or corresponding trade-off was desired. The
present invention also includes the use of combinations of ETA's. Combinations of
Type (2) and (3), for example, can give an overall behaviour similar to Type (1).
Combinations of Type (1) and (3) also give good results in that the spread of the
sensitometric curves is particularly well controlled.
[0013] A useful group of Type (1) ETA's of formula (I) are those in which at least one of
R¹ and/or R² is an alkoxy group of 1-4 carbon atoms, eg -OCH₃, R³ is hydrogen or an
alkyl group of 1-4 carbon atoms, eg - CH₃ and R⁴ is hydrogen or a hydroxyalkyl group
of 1-4 carbon atoms, eg -CH₂OH.
[0014] A useful group of Type (2) ETA's of formula (I) are those in which R¹, R² and R³
are hydrogen and R⁴ is an alkyl group of 3-7 atoms, eg -C₅H₁₁
[0015] The preferred black-and-white developers are: 1-(4-methoxyphenyl)-3-pyrazolidone,
1-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-3-pyrazolidone, and 1-phenyl-4-n-pentylpyrazolidone.
[0016] The black-and-white developing agent may be present in the developer solution at
a concentration up to 5 g/l preferably in the range 0.05 to 0.5 g/l. When incorporated
in the photographic material it may be present in one or more layers thereof. Instead
of incorporating them per se in the photographic material they are, as indicated above,
in the form of a compound that releases them as a function of the pH of the processing
solution.
[0017] It has been found, in particular, that the presence of the black-and-white developing
agent improves variability caused by variations in time and temperature of development,
pH, bromide ion concentration and colour developing agent (eg CD4) concentration in
the colour developer solution. The reduced risk of sensitometric variations further
means that replenishment rates can be reduced thus resulting in less overflow and
effluent. The sometimes needed bromide ion removal from the developer solution may
also be avoidable.
[0018] The present invention is particularly applicable to the processing of colour negative
film but is also applicable to other processes, eg colour paper. The material to be
processed comprises a support bearing at least one silver halide emulsion layer having
a colour coupler associated therewith. The term "associated therewith" here takes
its normal meaning in art. The coupler may be incorporated in the emulsion layer or
in a layer adjacent thereto. The preferred colour materials comprise three dye image
forming units each containing one or more emulsion layers having couplers associated
therewith and each sensitised to a different region of the spectrum. A typical colour
material would contain such units sensitised to blue, green and red light and capable
of forming yellow, magenta and cyan image dyes respectively.
[0019] Examples of colour photographic materials and methods of processing them are described
in Research Disclosure Item 308119, December 1989 published by Kenneth Mason Publications,
Emsworth, Hants, United Kingdom.
[0020] The following Examples are included for a better understanding of the invention.
EXAMPLE 1
[0021] A single layer coating of a silver bromoiodide emulsion comprising tabular grains
having a mean grain area of 1.05 mµ² containing a colour coupler (A) of the formula:

dissolved in di-tert-butylphthalate (coupler to solvent ratio of 1:0.5) was coated
at 1.0 g/m² (as silver) and 0.6 g/m² of coupler.
[0022] The following basic colour developing solution was used:
Colour Developer
[0023]

[0024] Table 1 below gives process details of concentration of 1-(4-methoxyphenyl)-3-pyrazolidone
and development time at 37.8°C.

[0025] The sensitometric results for these twelve processes are shown as sets of three time
series in Figures 1, 2 and 3 each for a different level of ETA. In Figure 1 (control),
without any ETA, the effect of time is considerable giving increases in Dmin, speed,
Dmax and contrast. In Figure 2 with 0.1 g/l of ETA the sensitometric spread caused
by time is very much reduced. In Figure 3 with 0.3 g/l ETA the curves are even closer
together. The optimum level of ETA is probably between 0.1 and 0.3 g/l. The essential
difference between this result and that expected is that not only do short process
times show acceleration (as might be expected) but the long process times show a reduction
(which is not expected).
[0026] This unexpected compression of sensitometric spread from both high and low activity
conditions is also shown with other process variables as is shown below in Examples
2 and 3.
[0027] Similar results were found with the couplers (B) and (C) having the formulae:

coated with the same emulsion and processed in the same solution.
EXAMPLE 2
[0028] A set of experiments with sodium bromide levels from 0.45 to 2.15 g/l and ETA levels
of 0, 0.1 and 0.3 g/l was carried out on the same coatings as mentioned above. The
results are shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6. Again with zero level of ETA there is a considerable
sensitometric spread caused by changing bromide ion level and as the ETA level is
increased this is reduced as shown in Figures 5 and 6. The optimum level of ETA is
probably between 0.1 and 0.3 g/l.
EXAMPLE 3
[0029] A single layer coating of a silver bromoiodide emulsion as described in Example 1
was tested by the procedure of Example 1 was followed except that the time of development
was kept constant at 2.5 minutes while varying the CD4 and ETA concentrations as set
out in Table 2 below.

[0030] The sensitometric results for these fifteen processes are shown as sets of three
CD4 level series in Figures 7,8 and 9. In Figure 7 (control) without any ETA the effect
of CD4 level is considerable giving increases in Dmin, speed, Dmax and contrast. In
Figure 8 with 0.1 g/l of ETA the sensitometric spread is caused by CD4 is very much
reduced. In Figure 9 with 0.3 g/l ETA the curves have separated again but are still
better than the control especially in similarity of contrast.
[0031] Similar results were found with other couplers (B) and (C) coated with the same emulsion
and processed in the same solution.
1. A method of developing an imagewise exposed silver halide colour material to provide
sensitometric results of reduced variability which comprises
carrying out colour development in an aqueous colour developing solution containing
a colour developing agent in the presence of one or a combination of the pyrazolidinone
silver halide developing agents of the general formula:

wherein
R¹ and R² are each hydrogen or an alkoxy group having 1-4 carbon atoms, and
R³ and R⁴ are each hydrogen or an alkyl group having 1-10 carbon atoms,
with the proviso that either one of R¹ or R² is an alkoxy group or either one of R³
or R⁴ is an alkyl group of 3-7 carbon atoms,
incorporated in said silver halide colour material in an inactive form from which
the active form is released in the alkaline developing solution,
the nature of the pyrazolidinone silver halide developing agent(s) being such that
in low activity conditions development is accelerated while in high activity conditions
development is decelerated thus reducing the variability in the density versus LogE
curve (the characteristic curve) caused by changes in development time.
2. A method as claimed in claim 1 in which the pyrazolidinone developing agent is also
contained in the colour developer solution.
3. A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2 in which at least one of R¹ and/or R² is an alkyoxy
group of 1-4 carbon atoms, R³ is hydrogen or an alkyl group of 1-4 carbon atoms, and
R⁴ is hydrogen or a hydroxyalkyl group of 1-4 carbon atoms.
4. A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2 in which R¹, R² and R³ are hydrogen and R⁴ is
an alkyl group of 3-7 atoms.
5. A method as claimed in any of claims 1-4 in which the pyrazolidinone developing agent
is 1-(4-methoxyphenyl)-3-pyrazolidone, 1-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-3-pyrazolidone, or
1-phenyl-4-n-pentylpyrazolidone.
6. A method as claimed in any of claims 2-5 in which the pyrazolidinone developing agent
is present in the developer solution at a concentration of from 0.05 to 0.5 g/l.
7. Use of one or more pyrazolidones to reduce the sensitometric variability of processed
photographic silver halide colour materials, wherein the pyrazolidinones have the
general formula (I):

wherein
R¹ and R² are each hydrogen or an alkoxy group having 1-4 carbon atoms, and
R³ and R⁴ are each hydrogen or an alkyl group having 1-10 carbon atoms,
with the proviso that either one of R¹ or R² is an alkoxy group or either one of R³
or R⁴ is an alkyl group of 3-7 carbon atoms,
and wherein the pyrazolidinone(s) is present during colour development carried
out in an aqueous colour developing solution and is such that in low activity conditions
development is accelerated while in high activity conditions development is decelerated
thus reducing the variability in the density versus LogE curve (the characteristic
curve) caused by changes in development time.
1. Verfahren zur Entwicklung eines bildweise exponierten Silberhalogenid-Farbmaterials
unter Erzielung sensitometrischer Ergebnisse von verminderter Variabilität, das umfaßt
die Durchführung der Farbentwicklung in einer wäßrigen Farbentwicklerlösung, die eine
Farbentwicklerverbindung enthält, in Gegenwart von einer oder einer Kombination von
Pyrazolidinon-Silberhalogenidentwicklerverbindugen der allgemeinen Formel:

worin R¹ und R² jeweils für Wasserstoff stehen oder eine Alkoxygruppe mit 1 bis 4
Kohlenstoffatomen und worin R³ und R⁴ jeweils Wasserstoffatome sind oder eine Alkylgruppe
mit 1 bis 10 Kohlenstoffatomen,
wobei gilt, daß einer der Reste R¹ oder R² eine Alkoxygruppe ist oder einer der Reste
R³ oder R⁴ eine Alkylgruppe mit 3 bis 7 Kohlenstoffatomen,
eingearbeitet in das Silberhalogenid-Farbmaterial in einer inaktiven Form, aus der
die aktive Form in der alkalischen Entwicklerlösung freigesetzt wird, wobei die Natur
des oder der Pyrazolidinon-Silberhalogenidentwicklerverbindungen derart ist, daß unter
Bedingungen geringer Aktivität die Entwicklung beschleunigt wird, während unter Bedingungen
hoher Aktivität die Entwicklung verzögert wird, unter Verminderung der Variabilität
in der Dichte in Abhängigkeit von der LogE-Kurve (der Charakteristikkurve), verursacht
durch Veränderungen in der Entwisklungsdauer.
2. Verfahren nach Anspruch 1, bei dem das Pyrazolidinon-Entwicklungsmittel ebenfalls
in der Farbentwicklerlösung enthalten ist.
3. Verfahren nach Anspruch 1 oder 2, bei dem mindestens einer der Reste R¹ und/oder R²
eine Alkoxygruppe mit 1 bis 4 Kohlenstoffatomen ist, R³ für ein Wasserstoffatom oder
eine Alkylgruppe mit 1 bis 4 Kohlenstoffatomen steht und R⁴ ein Wasserstoffatom ist
oder eine Hydroxyalkylgruppe mit 1 bis 4 Kohlenstoffatomen.
4. Verfahren nach Ansprüchen 1 oder 2, bei dem R¹, R² und R³ jeweils für Wasserstoffatome
stehen und R⁴ eine Alkylgruppe mit 3 bis 7 Atomen ist.
5. Verfahren nach einem der Ansprüche 1 bis 4, bei dem das Pyrazolidinon-Entwicklungsmittel
1-(4-Methoxyphenyl)-3-pyrazolidon; 1-(3,4-Dimethoxyphenyl)-3-pyrazolidon oder 1-Phenyl-4-n-pentylpyrazolidon
ist.
6. Verfahren nach einem der Ansprüche 2 bis 5, bei dem das Pyrazolidinon-Entwicklungsmittel
in der Entwicklerlösung in einer Konzentration von 0,05 bis 0,5 g/l vorliegt.
7. Verwendung von einem oder von mehreren Pyrazolidonen zur Verminderung der sensitometrischen
Variabilität von entwickelten photographischen Silberhalogenid-Farbmaterialien, wobei
die Pyrazolidinone die allgemeine Formel (I) haben:

worin R¹ und R² jeweils für ein Wasserstoffatom oder eine Alkoxygruppe mit 1 bis
4 Kohlenstoffatomen stehen und R³ und R⁴ jeweils stehen für ein Wasserstoffatom oder
eine Alkylgruppe mit 1 bis 10 Kohlenstoffatomen,
wobei gilt, daß einer der Reste R¹ oder R² für eine Alkoxygruppe steht oder einer
der Reste R³ oder R⁴ für eine Alkylgruppe mit 3 bis 7 Kohlenstoffatomen,
und wobei das oder die Pyrazolidinone während der Farbentwicklung vorliegen, die durchgeführt
wird in einer wäßrigen Farbentwicklerlösung, und wobei das oder die Pyrazolidinone
derart sind, daß unter Bedingungen geringer Aktivität die Entwicklung beschleunigt
wird, wohingegen unter Bedingungen hoher Aktivität die Entwicklung verzögert wird,
unter Verminderung der Variabilität der Dichte in Abhängigkeit von der LogE-Kurve
(der Charakteristikkurve), verursacht durch Veränderungen in der Entwicklungsdauer.
1. Procédé de développement d'un matériau en couleurs aux halogénures d'argent exposé
suivant une image pour donner des résultats sensitométriques de variabilité réduite
qui comprend
la mise en oeuvre du développement chromogène dans une solution aqueuse de développement
chromogène contenant un agent développateur chromogène en présence d'un ou d'une combinaison
d'agents développateurs des halogénures d'argent du type pyrazolidinone de formule
générale :

dans laquelle
R¹ et R² sont chacun l'hydrogène ou un groupe alcoxy en C₁-C₄ et
R³ et R⁴ sont chacun l'hydrogène ou un groupe alkyle en C₁-C₁₀,
pourvu que l'un ou l'autre de R¹ et R² soit un groupe alcoxy ou que l'un ou l'autre
de R³ et R⁴ soit un groupe alkyle en C₃-C₇,
incorporé dans ledit matériau en couleurs aux halogénures d'argent sous une forme
inactive à partir de laquelle la forme active est libérée dans la solution révélatrice
alcaline, la nature du ou des agents développateurs des halogénures d'argent du type
pyrazolidinone étant telle que, dans des conditions de faible activité, le développement
est accéléré, tandis que, dans des conditions d'activité élevée, le développement
est ralenti, réduisant ainsi la variabilité de la courbe de densité en fonction de
logE (courbe caractéristique) provoquée par des variations de la durée de développement.
2. Procédé selon la revendication 1, dans lequel l'agent développateur du type pyrazolidinone
est également contenu dans la solution de révélateur chromogène.
3. Procédé selon la revendication 1 ou 2, dans lequel l'un au moins de R¹ et/ou R² est
un groupe alcoxy en C₁-C₄, R³ est l'hydrogène ou un groupe alkyle en C₁-C₄ et R⁴ est
l'hydrogène ou un groupe hydroxyalkyle en C₁-C₄.
4. Procédé selon la revendication 1 ou 2, dans lequel R¹, R² et R³ sont des atomes d'hydrogène
et R⁴ est un groupe alkyle en C₃-C₇.
5. Procédé selon l'une quelconque des revendications 1 à 4, dans lequel l'agent développateur
du type pyrazolidinone est la 1-(4-méthoxyphényl)-3-pyrazolidone, la 1-(3,4-diméthoxyphényl)-3-pyrazolidone
ou la 1-phényl-4-n-pentylpyrazolidone.
6. Procédé selon l'une quelconque des revendications 2 à 5, dans lequel l'agent développateur
du type pyrazolidinone est présent dans la solution de révélateur à une concentration
de 0,05 à 0,5 g/l.
7. Utilisation d'une ou plusieurs pyrazolidinones pour réduire la variabilité sensitométrique
des matériaux photographiques en couleurs aux halogénures d'argent traités, dans laquelle
les pyrazolidinones répondent à la formule générale (I) :

dans laquelle
R¹ et R² sont chacun l'hydrogène ou un groupe alcoxy en C₁-C₄ et
R³ et R⁴ sont chacun l'hydrogène ou un groupe alkyle en C₁-C₁₀,
pourvu que l'un ou l'autre de R¹ et R² soit un groupe alcoxy ou l'un ou l'autre de
R³ et R⁴ soit un groupe alkyle en C₃-C₇,
et dans laquelle la ou les pyrazolidinones sont présentes pendant le développement
chromogène mis en oeuvre dans une solution aqueuse de développement chromogène et
sont telles que, dans des conditions de faible activité, le développement est accéléré,
tandis que, dans des conditions d'activité élevée, le développement est ralenti, réduisant
ainsi la variabilité de la courbe de densité en fonction de logE (courbe caractéristique)
provoquée par des variations de la durée de développement.