Photothermographic material and image forming method using same
A photothermographic material, including a support having an image forming layer on or above one surface thereof and a non-photosensitive layer on or above the opposite surface thereof, the image forming layer containing at least a photosensitive silver halide, a non-photosensitive organic silver salt, a reducing agent, and a binder, wherein: the binder contains 50% by mass or more of a hydrophilic binder; a ratio of a silver amount to the hydrophilic binder in the image forming layer is 1.0 to 2.5 by mass; a binder in the non-photosensitive layer contains 70% by mass or more of a hydrophilic binder; the image forming layer contains at least one of compounds represented by formulae (I) and (II); and a Bekk smoothness is 1000 seconds or more on an outside surface at the side having the image forming layer, while a Bekk smoothness is 5 to 400 seconds on an outside surface at the side having the non-photosensitive layer.
1 . A photothermographic material, comprising a support having an image forming layer on or above one surface thereof and a non-photosensitive layer on or above the opposite surface thereof,
the image forming layer containing at least a photosensitive silver halide, a non-photosensitive organic silver salt, a reducing agent, and a binder wherein:
the binder contains 50% by mass or more of a hydrophilic binder;
a ratio of a silver amount to the hydrophilic binder in the image forming layer is 1.0 to 2.5 by mass;
a binder in the non-photosensitive layer contains 70% by mass or more of a hydrophilic binder;
the image forming layer contains at least one of compounds represented by the following formulae (I) and (II); and
a Bekk smoothness is 1000 seconds or more on an outside surface of the side having the image forming layer, while a Bekk smoothness is 5 seconds to 400 seconds on an outside surface of the side having the non-photosensitive layer:
wherein Q represents an atomic group required for forming a 5- to 6-membered imide ring;
wherein R 5 represents independently a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, an alkoxy group, an alkylthio group, an arylthio group, a hydroxy group, a halogen atom, or an N(R 8 R 9 ) group wherein R 8 and R 9 represent independently a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, an aryl group, a cycloalkyl group, an alkenyl group or a heterocyclic group; r is 0, 1, or 2; R 8 and R 9 may bond with each other to form a substituted or an unsubstituted five- to seven-membered heterocyclic ring; two R 5 groups may bond with each other to form an aromatic, heteroaromatic, alicyclic or heterocyclic fused ring; and X represents O, S, Se or N(R 6 ) wherein R 6 represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group, an aryl group, a cycloalkyl group, an alkenyl group or a heterocyclic group.
2 . The photothermographic material as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one member selected from polyacrylamides or derivatives thereof.
3 . The photothermographic material as claimed in claim 2 , wherein:
particles of the non-photosensitive organic silver salt are formed in the presence of the at least one member selected from the polyacrylamides or the derivatives thereof.
4 . The photothermographic material as claimed in claim 2 , wherein:
the non-photosensitive organic silver salt is water-washed with an aqueous washing liquid containing the at least one member selected from the polyacrylamides or the derivatives thereof.
5 . The photothermographic material as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
the non-photosensitive organic silver salt is in the form of nanoparticles.
6 . The photothermographic material as claimed in claim 5 , wherein:
the nanoparticles have an average particle size of 10 nm to 1000 nm.
7 . The photothermographic material as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
there is a non-photosensitive layer as the outermost layer on the same side as the image forming layer.
8 . The photothermographic material as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
the hydrophilic binder in the image forming layer is gelatin or a gelatin derivative.
9 . The photothermographic material as claimed in claim 7 , wherein:
a hydrophilic binder in the outermost layer is gelatin or a gelatin derivative.
10 . An image forming method, comprising:
developing thermally the photothermographic material as claimed in claim 1 at a thermal developing linear speed of 20 mm/sec to 50 mm/sec.
11 . The image forming method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein:
the photothermographic material contains at least one member selected from polyacrylamides or the derivatives thereof.
12 . The image forming method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein:
particles of the non-photosensitive organic silver salt are formed in the presence of the at least one member selected from the polyacrylamides or the derivatives thereof.
13 . The image forming method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein:
the non-photosensitive organic silver salt is water-washed with an aqueous washing liquid containing the at least one member selected from the polyacrylamides or the derivatives thereof.
14 . The image forming method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein:
the non-photosensitive organic silver salt is in the form of nanoparticles.
15 . The image forming method as claimed in claim 14 , wherein:
the nanoparticles have an average particle size of 10 nm to 1000 nm.
16 . An image forming method, comprising:
developing thermally the photothermographic material as claimed in claim 1 by a drum development method.
17 . The image forming method as claimed in claim 16 , wherein:
there is a non-photosensitive layer as the outermost layer on the same side as the image forming layer.
18 . The image forming method as claimed in claim 16 , wherein:
the hydrophilic binder in the image forming layer is gelatin or a gelatin derivative.
19 . The image forming method as claimed in claim 17 , wherein:
a hydrophilic binder in the outermost layer is gelatin or a gelatin derivative.
20 . The image forming method as claimed in claim 16 , wherein:
the photothermographic material contains at least one member selected from polyacrylamides or derivatives thereof