Method for improving gradation of light scattering photographic materials

Claim 1

A METHOD OF IMPROVING THE PHOTOGRAPHIC SENSITIVITY CHARACTERISTICS. OF A VESICULAR PHOTOGRAPHIC ELEMENT CAPABLE OF FURNISHING A RECORD SOLELY IN THE FORM OF A DISTRIBUTION PATTERN OF A RADIATION SCATTERING DISCONTINUITIES FORMED WITHIN A VEHICLE WHICH IS OPTICALLY SUBSTANTIALLY HOMOGENEOUS, SAID ELEMENT COMPRISING A DRY, WATER-RESISTANT, NONHYGROSCOPIC FILM HAVING A PERMEABILITY CONSTANT FOR NITROGEN WITHIN THE RANGE OF 8.6X10**-16 AND 8X10**-10, SAID CONSTANT BEING THE NUMBER OF CUBIC CENTIMETERS OF NITROGEN TRANSMITTED AT 30*C. BY AN AREA OF ONE SQUARE CENTIMETER IN ONE SECOND WHEN THE PRESSURE GRADIENT IS ONE CENTIMETER OF MERCURY PER ONE CENTIMETER OF TRANSMISSION THICKNESS, THE CONTINUOUS PHASE OF SAID FILM COMPRISING A SYNTHETIC, WATER-INSOLUBLE, NON-HYGROSCOPIC, NON-WATER SWELLING, HIGHLY LINEAR THERMOPLASTIC POYMER OF A MONOMER CONTAINING A >C=C< GROUP, SAID FILM HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORMLY DISPERSED THEREIN AS THE SOLE ESSENTIAL IMAGE-PRODUCING AGENT A LIGHT-DECOMPOSABLE AGENT WHILE IS SUBSTANTIALLY NONREACTIVE TO SAID FILM, WHICH, UPON EXPOSURE TO LIGHT, DECOMPOSES INTO PRODUCTS WHICH ARE CHEMICALLY SUBSTANTIALLY NON-REACTIE TO SAID FILM, SAID NON-REACTIVE PRODUCTS BEING VOLATILE ON WARMING SAID FILM TO FORM SAID RADIATION SCATTERING DISCONTINUITIES ONLY IN THE LIGHT-STRUCK AREAS OF SAID FILM, SAID METHOD OF IMPROVING THE PHOTOGRAPHIC SENSITIVITY CHARACTERISTICS COMPRISING CONTACTING SAID FILM WITH AN AQUEOUS FLUID MAINTGAINED AT AN ELEVATED TEMPERATURE BEFORE EXPOSURE TO LIGHT AND DEVELOPMENT.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF IMPROVING THE PHOTOGRAPHIC SENSITIVITY CHARACTERISTICS. OF A VESICULAR PHOTOGRAPHIC ELEMENT CAPABLE OF FURNISHING A RECORD SOLELY IN THE FORM OF A DISTRIBUTION PATTERN OF A RADIATION SCATTERING DISCONTINUITIES FORMED WITHIN A VEHICLE WHICH IS OPTICALLY SUBSTANTIALLY HOMOGENEOUS, SAID ELEMENT COMPRISING A DRY, WATER-RESISTANT, NONHYGROSCOPIC FILM HAVING A PERMEABILITY CONSTANT FOR NITROGEN WITHIN THE RANGE OF 8.6X10**-16 AND 8X10**-10, SAID CONSTANT BEING THE NUMBER OF CUBIC CENTIMETERS OF NITROGEN TRANSMITTED AT 30*C. BY AN AREA OF ONE SQUARE CENTIMETER IN ONE SECOND WHEN THE PRESSURE GRADIENT IS ONE CENTIMETER OF MERCURY PER ONE CENTIMETER OF TRANSMISSION THICKNESS, THE CONTINUOUS PHASE OF SAID FILM COMPRISING A SYNTHETIC, WATER-INSOLUBLE, NON-HYGROSCOPIC, NON-WATER SWELLING, HIGHLY LINEAR THERMOPLASTIC POYMER OF A MONOMER CONTAINING A >C=C< GROUP, SAID FILM HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORMLY DISPERSED THEREIN AS THE SOLE ESSENTIAL IMAGE-PRODUCING AGENT A LIGHT-DECOMPOSABLE AGENT WHILE IS SUBSTANTIALLY NONREACTIVE TO SAID FILM, WHICH, UPON EXPOSURE TO LIGHT, DECOMPOSES INTO PRODUCTS WHICH ARE CHEMICALLY SUBSTANTIALLY NON-REACTIE TO SAID FILM, SAID NON-REACTIVE PRODUCTS BEING VOLATILE ON WARMING SAID FILM TO FORM SAID RADIATION SCATTERING DISCONTINUITIES ONLY IN THE LIGHT-STRUCK AREAS OF SAID FILM, SAID METHOD OF IMPROVING THE PHOTOGRAPHIC SENSITIVITY CHARACTERISTICS COMPRISING CONTACTING SAID FILM WITH AN AQUEOUS FLUID MAINTGAINED AT AN ELEVATED TEMPERATURE BEFORE EXPOSURE TO LIGHT AND DEVELOPMENT.