Vesicular photographic reproduction process utilizing a volatile liquid modifying agent

Claim 1

A METHOD OF PHOTOGRAPHIC REPRODUCTION WHICH COMPRISES (1) PROVIDING A VESICULAR FILM FORMED BY (I) DEPOSITING A LIQUID SOLVENT SOLUTION CONTAINING (A) A THERMOPLASTIC HYDROPHOBIC VEHICLE OF A TYPE ADAPTED TO SERVE AS THE FIM-FORMING VEHICLE FOR A PHTOLYTIC COMPOUND TO FORM VESICULAR PRINTS, (B) A DISSOCIABLE PHOTOLYTIC COMPOUND WHICH ON EXPOSURE TO RADIATION UNDERGOES DECOMPOSITION TO PRODUCE A GASEOUS DECOMPOSITION PRODUCT, AND (C) A MODIFYING SOLVENT COMPRISING AN ORGANIC, THERMALLY VOLATILE LIQUID MODIFIER WHICH IS SOLUBLE IN AND A SOLVENT FOR SAID VEHICLE AS WELL AS BEING SUFFICIENTLY VOLATILE TO DIFFUSE RAPIDLY OUT OF THE VEHICLE AT TEMPERATURES OF ABOUT 100* TO 200*F. AND WHICH HAS THE PROPERTY OF ACCELERATING DIFFUSION OF SAID GASEOUS DECOMOSITION PRODUCT FROM THE FILM, AND (II) REMOVING SAID SOLVENT FROM THE DEPOSITED SOLUTION UNTIL NOT LESS THAN ABOUT 2% AND UP TO ABOUT 10% OF SAID LIQUID SOLVENT, BASED ON SAID VEHICLE, REMAINS AS A RESIDUAL MODIFIER DISSOLVED IN THE RESULTING FILM; (2) EXPOSING A PORTION OF THE RESULTING MODIFIER-CONTAINING FILM IN A FIRST EXPOSURE STEP TO RADIATION ADAPTED TO CAUSE FORMATION OF GASEOUS PRODUCT BY DECOMPOSITION OF SAID PHOTOLYTIC COMPOUND; (3) HEATING THE RESULTING EXPOSED FILM TO A TEMPERATURE AND FOR A TIME ADAPTED (A) TOBRING ABOUT SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE DIFFUSION OF SAID GASEOUS DECOMPOSITION PRODUCT FROM THE FILM BUT WITHOUT BUBBLE FORMATION AND (B) TODRIVE OFF SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF SAID RESIDUAL MODIFIER; (4) THEN EXPOSING SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE FILM TO SAID RADIATION IN A SECOND EXPOSURE STEP; (5) AND HEATING THE RE-EXPOSED FILM TO A TEMPERATURE AND FOR A TIME SUFFICIENT TOCAUSE BUBBLE FORMATION IN THE AREAS UNEXPOSED DURING THE FIRST EXPOSURE STEP, THEREBY FORMING AN IMAGE CORRESPONDING TO THE PORTION OF THE FILM EXPOSED TO RADIATION IN SAID FIRST EXPOSURE STEP.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF PHOTOGRAPHIC REPRODUCTION WHICH COMPRISES (1) PROVIDING A VESICULAR FILM FORMED BY (I) DEPOSITING A LIQUID SOLVENT SOLUTION CONTAINING (A) A THERMOPLASTIC HYDROPHOBIC VEHICLE OF A TYPE ADAPTED TO SERVE AS THE FIM-FORMING VEHICLE FOR A PHTOLYTIC COMPOUND TO FORM VESICULAR PRINTS, (B) A DISSOCIABLE PHOTOLYTIC COMPOUND WHICH ON EXPOSURE TO RADIATION UNDERGOES DECOMPOSITION TO PRODUCE A GASEOUS DECOMPOSITION PRODUCT, AND (C) A MODIFYING SOLVENT COMPRISING AN ORGANIC, THERMALLY VOLATILE LIQUID MODIFIER WHICH IS SOLUBLE IN AND A SOLVENT FOR SAID VEHICLE AS WELL AS BEING SUFFICIENTLY VOLATILE TO DIFFUSE RAPIDLY OUT OF THE VEHICLE AT TEMPERATURES OF ABOUT 100* TO 200*F. AND WHICH HAS THE PROPERTY OF ACCELERATING DIFFUSION OF SAID GASEOUS DECOMOSITION PRODUCT FROM THE FILM, AND (II) REMOVING SAID SOLVENT FROM THE DEPOSITED SOLUTION UNTIL NOT LESS THAN ABOUT 2% AND UP TO ABOUT 10% OF SAID LIQUID SOLVENT, BASED ON SAID VEHICLE, REMAINS AS A RESIDUAL MODIFIER DISSOLVED IN THE RESULTING FILM; (2) EXPOSING A PORTION OF THE RESULTING MODIFIER-CONTAINING FILM IN A FIRST EXPOSURE STEP TO RADIATION ADAPTED TO CAUSE FORMATION OF GASEOUS PRODUCT BY DECOMPOSITION OF SAID PHOTOLYTIC COMPOUND; (3) HEATING THE RESULTING EXPOSED FILM TO A TEMPERATURE AND FOR A TIME ADAPTED (A) TOBRING ABOUT SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE DIFFUSION OF SAID GASEOUS DECOMPOSITION PRODUCT FROM THE FILM BUT WITHOUT BUBBLE FORMATION AND (B) TODRIVE OFF SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF SAID RESIDUAL MODIFIER; (4) THEN EXPOSING SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE FILM TO SAID RADIATION IN A SECOND EXPOSURE STEP; (5) AND HEATING THE RE-EXPOSED FILM TO A TEMPERATURE AND FOR A TIME SUFFICIENT TOCAUSE BUBBLE FORMATION IN THE AREAS UNEXPOSED DURING THE FIRST EXPOSURE STEP, THEREBY FORMING AN IMAGE CORRESPONDING TO THE PORTION OF THE FILM EXPOSED TO RADIATION IN SAID FIRST EXPOSURE STEP.