The use of a polyvalent cation-organic phosphonic acid complex as a bleaching agent

Claim 2

IN A METHOD FOR DEVELOPING, BLEACHING AND FIXING AN IMAGE-WISE EXPOSED SILVER HAIDE PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIAL BLEACHING AND FIXING COMPRISING SEPARATE STEPS IN SAID METHOD THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING BLEACHING THE SILVER HALIDE PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIAL WITH A BLEACHING SOLUTION CONTAINING A POLYVALENT CATION-ORGANIC PHOSPHONIC ACID COMPLEX AS THE BLEACHING AGENT AND A RE-HALOGENATING AGENT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF AN ALKALI METAL HALIDE AND AN AMMONIUM HALIDE.

Claim 3

The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said polyvalent cation is Fe(III), Co, Ni or Cu(II).

Claim 4

The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said organic phosphonic acid is an aminopolymethylene phosphonic acid or a water-soluble salt thereof.

Claim 5

The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein said aminopolymethylene phosphonic acid is represented by the following general formula (I) R1N(CH2PO3M2)2 (I) where M represents a hydrogen atom or a cation which imparts water-solubility; R1 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms; an aryl group; an aralkyl group; an alicyclic group; or a heterocyclic group.

Claim 6

The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein M is an alkali metal, ammonium or water-soluble substituted ammonium ion; wherein the alkyl group for R1 is a methyl group, an ethyl group, a propyl group, an isopropyl group, or a butyl group; wherein said aryl group for R1 is a phenyl group, an o-tolyl group, a m-tolyl group, a p-tolyl group, a p-carboxyphenyl group, or a water-soluble salt of a p-carboxyphenyl group; wherein said aralkyl group for R1 is a benzyl group, an Alpha -phenyl group or an o-acetamidobenzyl group; wherein said alicyclic group for R1 is a cyclohexyl group or a cyclopentyl group; and wherein said heterocyclic group for R1 is a pyrrolidylmethyl group, a pyrrolidylbutyl group, a benzothiazolymethyl group or a tetrahydroquinolylmethyl group.

Claim 7

The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein R1 is an alkyl group substituted with a hydroxyl group, an alkoxyl group, a halogen atom, -PO3M2, -CH2 PO3M2 or -N(CH2PO3N2)2, wherein M represents a hydrogen atom or a cation which imparts water-solubility.

Claim 8

The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said organic phosphonic acid is a compound respresentably the general formula (II) R2R3C(PO3M2)2 (II) where R2 represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group, an aralkyl group, an alicycliC group or a heterocyclic group, or -PO3M2 and R3 represents a hydrogen atom, a hydroxyl group, an alkyl group, -PO3M2, wherein M is a hydrogen atom or a cation which imparts water-solubility. solubility.

Claim 9

The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein M is an alkali metal, ammonium or water-soluble substituted ammonium ion; wherein the alkyl group for R2 is a methyl group, an ethyl group, a propyl group, an isopropyl group, or a butyl group.

Claim 10

The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the alkyl group for R2 is an alkyl group substituted with a hydroxyl group, an alkoxyl group, a halogen atom, -PO3M2, -CH2-PO3M2 or -N(CH2PO3N2)2, wherein M is a hydrogen atom or a cation which imparts water-solubility.

Claim 11

The method as claimed in claim 4 wherein M is an alkali metal, ammonium or water-soluble substituted ammonium ion.

Claim 12

The method as claimed in claim 6 wherein M is an alkali metal, ammonium or water-soluble substituted ammonium ion.

Claim 13

The method as claimed in claim 7 wherein M is an alkali metal, ammonium or water-soluble substituted ammonium ion.

Claim 14

The method as claimed in claim 9 wherein M is an alkali metal, ammonium or water-soluble substituted ammonium ion.

Claim 15

The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said aminopolymethylene phosphonic acid is selected from those represented by the following general formulae (I) or (II) R1N(CH2PO3M2)2 (I) where M represents a hydrogen atom or a cation which imparts water-solubility; R1 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms; an aryl group; an aralkyl group; an alicyclic group; or a heterocyclic group; or R2R3C(PO3M2)2 (II) where R2 represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group, an aralkyl group, an alicyclic group or a heterocyclic group, or -PO3M2, and R3 represents a hydrogen atom, a hydroxyl group, an alkyl group, -PO3M2, wherein M is a hydrogen atom or a cation which imparts water-solubility.

Claim 16

The method as claimed in claim 14 wherein said polyvalent cation is Fe(III), Co, Ni or Cu(II).

Claim 17

The method as claimed in claim 15 wherein M is an alkali metal, ammonium or water-soluble substituted ammonium ion.

Claim 18

The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein from about 20 to 200 g. of said polyvalent cation-organic phosphonic acid complex is present per one liter of the bleaching solution.

Claim 19

The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said bleaching solution has a pH of about 3 to 8.