Noble metal image forming method

Claim 3

The method as described in claim 1, wherein said compound of a noble metal having an ionization tendency smaller than the ionization tendency of silver is at least one compound selected from the group consisting of a chloride; a bromide; a chlorocomplex acid, a sodium salt, a potassium salt or an ammonium salt of a chlorocomplex acid; a bromo-complex acid; and a sodium salt, a potassium salt, or an ammonium salt of a bromo-complex acid.

Claim 4

The method as described in claim 1, wherein said aqueous solution contains said compound at a concentration of about 0.01% by weight to a saturated solution.

Claim 5

The method as described in claim 3, wherein said aqueous solution contains said compound at a concentration of 0.05% by weight to a saturated solution.

Claim 6

The method as described in claim 1, wherein said oxygen-containing gas is air.

Claim 7

The method as described in claim 1, wherein said compound of a noble metal having an ionization tendency smaller than the ionization tendency of silver is at least one compound selected from the group consisting of gold (III) chloride; gold (I)-gold (III) chloride; platinum (II) chloride; palladium (II) chloride; rhodium (III) chloride; iridium (III) chloride; iridium (IV) chloride; gold (III) bromide; platinum (III) bromide; platinum (IV) bromide; palladium (II) bromide; rhodium (III) bromide; chloroauric (III) acid; chloroplatinic (IV) acid; chloropalladic (IV) acid; chloroiridic (IV) acid; bromoauric (III) acid; bromoplatinic (IV) acid; the sodium salt, the potassium salt, or the ammonium salt of tetrachloroauric (III) acid; the sodium salt, the potassium salt, or the ammonium salt of hexachloroplatinic (IV) acid; the sodium salt, the potassium salt, or the ammonium salt of tetrachloroplatinic (II) acid; potassium hexachloropalladate (IV); the sodium salt, the potassium salt, or the ammonium salt of tetrachloropalladic (II) acid; the sodium salt, the potassium salt, or the ammonium salt of hexachlororhodic (III) acid; the sodium salt, the potassium salt, or the ammonium salt of hexachloroiridic (III) acid; the sodium salt, the potassium salt, or the ammonium salt of hexachloroiridic (IV) acid; the sodium salt, the potassium salt, or the ammonium salt of tetrabromoauric (III) acid; the sodium salt, the potassium salt, or the ammonium salt of hexabromoplatinic (IV) acid; and the sodium salt or the potassium salt of tetrabromoplatinic (II) acid.

Claim 8

The method as described in claim 1, wherein said silver halide is silver chloride, silver bromide, silver iodide, silver chlorobromide, silver bromoiodide, silver chloroiodide, silver chlorobromoiodide or mixtures thereof.

Claim 9

The method as described in claim 1, wherein said silver halide emulsion is an emulsion containing about 90 mol % or higher silver bromide and about 5 mol % or less silver iodide and the mean grain size of the silver halide grains is about 0.1 micron or less and wherein the weight ratio of the silver halide to the hydrophilic colloid binder of the emulsion is about 1:4 to 6:1.

Claim 10

The method as described in claim 1, wherein said silver halide emulsion is an emulsion which contains about 50 mol % or higher silver chloride and contains silver halide grains having a mean grain size of about 1 micron or smaller.

Claim 11

The method as described in claim 1, wherein said silver halide emulsion layer has a thickness of about 20 microns or less.

Claim 14

The method as described in claim 11, including removing the silver compound formed by said replacing process prior to said heating process.

Claim 15

The method of claim 11, including the further step of reducing the silver compound before said heating, to form a mixed image of silver and said noble metal.

Claim 16

The method as described in claim 13, further including replacing the silver portion of said mixed image with a noble metal image by contacting said mixed image with a toning solution containing a compound containing a noble metal selected from the group consisting of gold, platinum, palladium, rhobium, iridium and ruthenium prior to said heating.

Claim 17

The method as described in claim 14, wherein the noble metal of said mixed image is different from the noble metal with which the silver portion of said mixed image is replaced.

Claim 18

The method as described in claim 14, wherein the noble metal of said mixed image is the same as the noble metal with which the silver portion of said mixed image is replaced.

Claim 19

The method as described in claim 14, further including reducing the silver compound formed by replacing the silver portion of the mixed image to form a second mixed image of silver and a noble metal and then replacing the silver portion of said second mixed image with a noble metal image by contacting said mixed image with a toning solution containing a compound containing a noble metal selected from the group consisting of gold, platinum, palladium, rhobium, iridium and ruthenium prior to said heating.