Photographic element

Claim 2

A LIGHT-SENSITIVE PHOTOGRAPHIC ELEMENT COMPRISING A SUPPORT HAVING THEREON AT LEAST ONE SILVER HALIDE EMULSION LAYER WHICH CONSISTS ESSENTIALLY OF SILVER HALIDE, GELATIN, A NONIONIC WATER-SOLUBLE POLYMER WHICH IS PHOTOGRAPHICALLY COMPATIBLE WITH SAID GELATIN AND A POLYMER WHICH IS A PHASESEPARATION INHIBITOR FOR SAID GELATIN AND SAID NONIONIC WATERSOLUBLE POLYMER, SAID POLYMER COMPRISING 50 MOLE PERCENT OF VINYL ACETATE (50 - X) MOLE PERCENT OF MALEIC ACID AND X MOLE PERCENT OF A HALF ALKYL ESTER OF MALEIC ACID, WHEREIN X IS 0 X 50 AND THE ALKYL GROUP IN SAID HALF ALKYL ESTER HAS 1 TO 4 CARBON ATOMS, WHEREIN THE PROPORTION OF SAID GELATIN, SAID NONIONIC WATER-SOLUBLE POLYMER AND SAID POLYMER IS ABOUT 5 TO ABOUT 70 PERCENT BY WEIGHT, ABOUT 90 TO ABOUT 15 PERCENT BY WEIGHT AND ABOUT 5 TO ABOUT 15 PERCENT BY WEIGHT, RESPECTIVELY.

Claim 3

A light-sensitive photographic element comprising a support having thereon at least two layers, at least one of said layers being a silver halide emulsion layer and at least one of said layers containing gelatin, a nonionic water-soluble polymer which is photographically compatible with said gelatin and a polymer which is a phase-separation inhibitor for said gelatin and said nonionic water-soluble polymer, said polymer comprising 50 mole percent of vinyl acetate, (50 - X) mole percent of maleic acid and X mole percent of a half alkyl ester of maleic acid, wherein X is 0 < or = X < or = 50 and said alkyl group in said half alkyl ester has 1 to 4 carbon atoms, wherein the proportion of said gelatin, said nonionic water-soluble polymer and said polymer is about 5 to about 70 percent by weight, about 90 to about 15 percent by weight and about 5 to about 15 percent by weight, respectively, said at least one of said layers which contains gelatin, a nonionic water-soluble polymer and a polymer consisting essentially of said components, with the proviso that when said components are in a silver halide emulsion layer silver halide is further present.

Claim 4

A light-sensitive photographic element comprising a support having thereon at least two layers, at least one of said layers being a silver halide emulsion layer and at least one of said layers containing gelatin, a nonionic water-soluble polymer which is photographically compatible with said gelatin and a polymer which is a phase-separation inhibitor for said gelatin and said nonionic water-soluble polymer, said polymer comprising 50 mole percent of vinyl acetate, (50 - X) mole percent of maleic acid and X mole percent of a half alkyl ester of maleic acid, wherein X is 0 < or = X < or = 50 and said alkyl group in said half alkyl ester has 1 to 4 carbon atoms, wherein the proportion of said gelatin, said nonionic water-soluble polymer and said polymer is about 5 to about 70 percent by weight, about 90 to about 15 percent by weight and about 5 to about 15 percent by weight, respectively, said at least one of said layers which contains gelatin, a nonionic water-soluble polymer and a polymer consisting essentially of said components, with the proviso that when said components are in a silver halide emulsion layer silver halide is further present.

Claim 5

A light-sensitive photographic element as claimed in claim 1 wherein 50 mole percent, (50 - X) mole percent and X mole percent total 100 mole percent.

Claim 6

A light-sensitive photographic element as claimed in claim 1 wherein said nonionic water-soluble polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl alcohol; polymers of an acrylamide or methacrylamide, polyvinyl methyl ether, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, polyvinyl oxazolidone, polyvinyl caprolactams, soluble starch and cellulose derivatives.

Claim 7

A light-sensitive photographic element as claimed in claim 1 wherein X is 50 and said phase-separation inhibitor has an intrinsic viscosity, measured in a methanolic solution at 30*C, of 0.64.

Claim 8

A light-sensitive photographic element as claimed in claim 1 wherein said phase-separation inhibitor contains said vinyl acetate and said half alkyl ester of maleic acid in which the alkyl group of said half alkyl ester is an ethyl group, in 50 molar percent proportions, respectively, said phase-separation inhibitor having an intrinsic viscosity, measured in a methanolic solution at 30*C, of 0.73.

Claim 9

A light-sensitive photographic element as claimed in claim 1 wherein said phase-separation inhibitor contains said vinyl acetate, said maleic acid and said half alkyl ester of maleic acid, the alkyl group of said half alkyl ester being an n-butyl group, in 50, 30 and 20 molar percent proportions, respectively, said inhibitor having an intrinsic viscosity, measured in a methanolic solution at 30*C, of 0.2.

Claim 10

A light-sensitive photographic element as claimed in claim 1 wherein said phase-separation inhibitor contains said vinyl acetate, said maleic acid and said half alkyl ester of maleic acid, the alkyl group of said half alkyl ester being a methyl group, in 50, 20 and 30 molar percent proportions, respectively, said phase-separation inhibitor having an intrinsic viscosity, measured in a methanolic solution at 30*C, of 0.52.

Claim 11

A light-sensitive photographic element as claimed in claim 1 wherein said phase-separation inhibitor has an intrinsic viscoSity measured in a methanolic solution at 30*C in the range of from 0.3 to 2.0.

Claim 12

A light-sensitive photographic element as claimed in claim 1 wherein said polymer contains said half alkyl ester of maleic acid.

Claim 13

A light-sensitive photographic element as claimed in claim 2 wherein said nonionic water-soluble polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl alcohol; polymers of an acrylamide or methacrylamide, polyvinyl methyl ether, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, polyvinyl oxazolidone, polyvinyl caprolactams, soluble starch and cellulose derivatives.

Claim 14

A light-sensitive photgraphic element as claimed in claim 2 wherein X is 50 and said phase-separation inhibitor has an intrinsic viscosity, measured in a methanolic solution at 30*C, of 0.64.

Claim 15

A light-sensitive photographic element as claimed in claim 2 wherein said phase-separation inhibitor contains said vinyl acetate and said half alkyl ester of maleic acid, in which the alkyl group of said half alkyl ester is an ethyl group, in 50 molar percent proportions, respectively, said phase-separation inhibitor having an intrinsic viscosity, measured in a methanolic solution at 30*C, of 0.73.

Claim 16

A light-sensitive photographic element as claimed in claim 2 wherein said phase-separation inhibitor contains said vinyl acetate, said maleic acid and said half alkyl ester of maleic acid, the alkyl group of said half alkyl ester being an n-butyl group, in 50, 30 and 20 molar percent proportions, respectively, said inhibitor having an intrinsic viscosity, measured in a methanolic solution at 30*C, 0.2.

Claim 17

A light-sensitive photographic element as claimed in claim 2 wherein said phase-separation inhibitor contains said vinyl acetate, said maleic acid and said half alkyl ester of maleic acid, the alkyl group of said half alkyl ester being a methyl group, in 50, 20 and 30 molar percent proportions, respectively, said phase-separation inhibitor having an intrinsic viscosity, measured in a methanolic solution at 30*C, of 0.52.

Claim 18

A light-sensitive photographic element as claimed in claim 2 wherein said phase-separation inhibitor has an intrinsic viscosity measured in a methanolic solution at 30*C in the range of from 0.3 to 2.0.

Claim 19

A light sensitive photographic element as claimed in claim 2 wherein said polymer contains said half alkyl ester of maleic acid.

Claim 20

A light-sensitive photographic element as claimed in claim 2 wherein 50 mole percent, 50 - X mole percent and X mole percent total 100 mole percent.

Claim 21

A light-sensitive photographic element as claimed in claim 2 wherein said at least one layer is a protective layer.

Claim 22

A light-sensitive photographic element as claimed in claim 2 wherein said at least one layer is a subbing layer.

Claim 23

A light-sensitive photographic element as claimed in claim 2 wherein at least one layer is an image-receiving layer for a diffusion transfer process.