Process for bleach-fixing color photographic silver halide material

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF BLEACH-FIXING DEVELOPED COLOR PHOTOGRAPHIC SILVER HALIDE MATERIAL COMPRISING PASSING DEVELOPED COLOR PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIAL INTO THE PLURALITY OF SEPARATE MEANS ARRANGED IN SERIES FOR APPLYING BLEACH-FIX SOLUTION TO THE DEVELOPED COLOR MATERIALS, PASSING THE DEVELOPED COLOR MATERIAL INTO THE FIRST MEANS FOR APPLYING BLEACH-FIX SOLUTION AND FROM THE FIRST MEANS TO AND THROUGH AT LEAST ONE LATER MEANS FOR APPLYING A BLEACH-FIX SOLUTION TO THE DEVELOPED COLOR MATERIAL, INTRODUCING INTO SAID LAST BLEACH-FIX APPLYING MEANS A BLEACH-FIX SOLUTION HAVING AN OXIDIZING POWER AT A PH OF BETWEEN 6 AND 8 AND A LOW SILVER CONTENT AND CONTAINING A HEAVY METAL COMPLEX OF A COMPLEX FORMING AMINOPOLYACETIC ACID AS BLEACHING AGENT AND A SILVER SALT SOLVENT AS FIXING AGENT FIRST INTO THE LAST MEANS CONTINUOUSLY PASSING THE BLEACH-FIX SOLUTION FROM ONE APPLICATION MEANS TO THE NEXT ADJACENT APPLICATION MEANS COUNTERCURRENT TO THE PHOTOMATERIAL PASSAGE BY INITIALLY PASSING A PORTION OF THIS LAST APPLICATION MEANS TO THE NEXT ADJACENT MEANS SO THAT A PORTION IS PASSED TO THE FIRST MEANS COUNTERCURRENT TO THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF SAID DEVELOPED COLOR PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIAL; AND DIMINISHING THE OXIDIZING POWER OF THE BLEACH-FIX SOLUTION IN THE FIRST MEANS BY DECREASING THE PH TO 5.5 OR LESS, OR ADDING A REDUCING AGENT TO LOWER THE REDOX POTENTIAL TO A VALUE BETWEEN 0 AND 100 MV MORE POSITIVE THAN THE POTENTIAL OF THE EQUIVALENCE POINT DEFINED BY THE 1:1 MIXTURE OF REDUCED AND OXIDIZED FORMS OF THE REDOX SYSTEM; A PORTION OF THE BLEACH-FIXING SOLUTION OF THE FIRST MEANS IS PASSED OUT OF THE INSTALLATION AND A CORRESPONDING AMOUNT OF REGENERATOR BLEACH-FIX SOLUTION IS ADDED TO THE LAST OF THE MEANS IN A CYCLE WHEREIN THE DEVELOPED PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIAL IS TREATED IN THE FIRST MEANS TO REMOVE A GREATER PERCENTAGE OF SILVER FROM THE DEVELOPED MATERIAL THAN IN ANY LATTER MEANS AND THE DEVELOPED MATERIAL IS TREATED IN AT LEAST ONE LATTER MEANS AR A REDOX POTENTIAL OF MORE THAN 100 MV MORE POSITIVE THAN THAT OF THE EQUIVALENCE POINT AND AT A PH OF BETWEEN 6 AND 8 TO REMOVE THE RESIDUAL SILVER FROM THE COLOR PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIAL.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF BLEACH-FIXING DEVELOPED COLOR PHOTOGRAPHIC SILVER HALIDE MATERIAL COMPRISING PASSING DEVELOPED COLOR PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIAL INTO THE PLURALITY OF SEPARATE MEANS ARRANGED IN SERIES FOR APPLYING BLEACH-FIX SOLUTION TO THE DEVELOPED COLOR MATERIALS, PASSING THE DEVELOPED COLOR MATERIAL INTO THE FIRST MEANS FOR APPLYING BLEACH-FIX SOLUTION AND FROM THE FIRST MEANS TO AND THROUGH AT LEAST ONE LATER MEANS FOR APPLYING A BLEACH-FIX SOLUTION TO THE DEVELOPED COLOR MATERIAL, INTRODUCING INTO SAID LAST BLEACH-FIX APPLYING MEANS A BLEACH-FIX SOLUTION HAVING AN OXIDIZING POWER AT A PH OF BETWEEN 6 AND 8 AND A LOW SILVER CONTENT AND CONTAINING A HEAVY METAL COMPLEX OF A COMPLEX FORMING AMINOPOLYACETIC ACID AS BLEACHING AGENT AND A SILVER SALT SOLVENT AS FIXING AGENT FIRST INTO THE LAST MEANS CONTINUOUSLY PASSING THE BLEACH-FIX SOLUTION FROM ONE APPLICATION MEANS TO THE NEXT ADJACENT APPLICATION MEANS COUNTERCURRENT TO THE PHOTOMATERIAL PASSAGE BY INITIALLY PASSING A PORTION OF THIS LAST APPLICATION MEANS TO THE NEXT ADJACENT MEANS SO THAT A PORTION IS PASSED TO THE FIRST MEANS COUNTERCURRENT TO THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF SAID DEVELOPED COLOR PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIAL; AND DIMINISHING THE OXIDIZING POWER OF THE BLEACH-FIX SOLUTION IN THE FIRST MEANS BY DECREASING THE PH TO 5.5 OR LESS, OR ADDING A REDUCING AGENT TO LOWER THE REDOX POTENTIAL TO A VALUE BETWEEN 0 AND 100 MV MORE POSITIVE THAN THE POTENTIAL OF THE EQUIVALENCE POINT DEFINED BY THE 1:1 MIXTURE OF REDUCED AND OXIDIZED FORMS OF THE REDOX SYSTEM; A PORTION OF THE BLEACH-FIXING SOLUTION OF THE FIRST MEANS IS PASSED OUT OF THE INSTALLATION AND A CORRESPONDING AMOUNT OF REGENERATOR BLEACH-FIX SOLUTION IS ADDED TO THE LAST OF THE MEANS IN A CYCLE WHEREIN THE DEVELOPED PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIAL IS TREATED IN THE FIRST MEANS TO REMOVE A GREATER PERCENTAGE OF SILVER FROM THE DEVELOPED MATERIAL THAN IN ANY LATTER MEANS AND THE DEVELOPED MATERIAL IS TREATED IN AT LEAST ONE LATTER MEANS AR A REDOX POTENTIAL OF MORE THAN 100 MV MORE POSITIVE THAN THAT OF THE EQUIVALENCE POINT AND AT A PH OF BETWEEN 6 AND 8 TO REMOVE THE RESIDUAL SILVER FROM THE COLOR PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIAL.

Claim 3

The method of bleach-fixing developed color photographIc silver halide material comprising passing developed color photographic material into the plurality of separate means arranged in series for applying bleach-fix solution to the developed color material, passing the developed color material into the first means for applying bleach-fix solution and from the first means to and through at least one later means for applying a bleach-fix solution to the developed color material, introducing into said last bleach-fix applying means a bleach-fix solution having an oxidizing power at a pH of between 6 and 8 and a low silver content and containing a heavy metal complex of a complex forming aminopolyacetic acid as bleaching agent and a silver salt solvent as fixing agent first into the last means continuously passing the bleach-fix solution from one application means to the next adjacent application means countercurrent to the photomaterial passage by initially passing a portion of this last application means to the next adjacent means so that a portion is passed to the first means countercurrent to the direction of movement of said developed color photographic material; and diminishing the oxidizing power of the bleach-fix solution in the first means by decreasing the pH to 5.5 or less, or adding a reducing agent to lower the redox potential to a value between 0 and 100 mV more positive than the potential of the equivalence point defined by the 1:1 mixture of reduced and oxidized forms of the redox system; a portion of the bleach-fixing solution of the first means is passed out of the installation and a corresponding amount of regenerator bleach-fix solution is added to the last of the means in a cycle wherein the developed photographic material is treated in the first means to remove a greater percentage of silver from the developed material than in any latter means and the developed material is treated in at least one latter means at a redox potential of more than 100 mV more positive than that of the equivalence point and at a pH of between 6 and 8 to remove the residual silver from the color photographic material.

Claim 4

The method of bleach-fixing developed color photographIc silver halide material comprising passing developed color photographic material into the plurality of separate means arranged in series for applying bleach-fix solution to the developed color material, passing the developed color material into the first means for applying bleach-fix solution and from the first means to and through at least one later means for applying a bleach-fix solution to the developed color material, introducing into said last bleach-fix applying means a bleach-fix solution having an oxidizing power at a pH of between 6 and 8 and a low silver content and containing a heavy metal complex of a complex forming aminopolyacetic acid as bleaching agent and a silver salt solvent as fixing agent first into the last means continuously passing the bleach-fix solution from one application means to the next adjacent application means countercurrent to the photomaterial passage by initially passing a portion of this last application means to the next adjacent means so that a portion is passed to the first means countercurrent to the direction of movement of said developed color photographic material; and diminishing the oxidizing power of the bleach-fix solution in the first means by decreasing the pH to 5.5 or less, or adding a reducing agent to lower the redox potential to a value between 0 and 100 mV more positive than the potential of the equivalence point defined by the 1:1 mixture of reduced and oxidized forms of the redox system; a portion of the bleach-fixing solution of the first means is passed out of the installation and a corresponding amount of regenerator bleach-fix solution is added to the last of the means in a cycle wherein the developed photographic material is treated in the first means to remove a greater percentage of silver from the developed material than in any latter means and the developed material is treated in at least one latter means at a redox potential of more than 100 mV more positive than that of the equivalence point and at a pH of between 6 and 8 to remove the residual silver from the color photographic material.