US4451550A
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Vesicular film and composition with phenoxy resin matrix
Assignee: Image Products Group LLC
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Filing: 1982-07-29
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Granted: 1984-05-29
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Expires: 2002-07-29
Abstract
Abstract Novel, coatable, highly long-chain branched, ungelled, most preferably endblocked, non-linear phenoxy resins of random structure devoid of regularly recurring units, with the average distance between the branch sites thereof being essentially of the same order of magnitude as the average branch length, such resins advantageously comprising the copolymerization product of: (i) at least one dihydric phenol, e.g., sulfonyl diphenol; (ii) an epoxy comonomer having two epoxy functional groups, e.g., resorcinol diglycidyl ether; (iii) a branching agent comprising an epoxy or phenolic compound having a functionality greater than 2, and preferably at least 3, wherein the amount of branching agent is sufficient to provide at least 10 mole percent branch sites in the polymer resin, and, most preferably; (iv) a monofunctional phenol or epoxide as an endblocker compound. The branched phenoxy resins are well adapted as matrices for enhanced film speed vesicular films.
Inventors
- 👤 Everett W. Bennett
- 👤 Ahmad Arfaei
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 08:47
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03C; G03C5/00; G03C5/60; C; C08; C08G; C08G59/00; C08G59/14; C08G59/1433; C08G59/1438; C08G59/18; C08G59/40; C08G59/62; C08G59/621
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 37
Claim 1
Independent Claim
93 words
In a vesicular film element comprising a film support and a coating therefor including a matrix resin and an imaging amount of a photosensitive vesiculating agent adapted to generate gas vescicles upon exposure to radiation and subsequent heat-actuated development, the improvement which comprises, as the matrix resin for the photosensitive vesiculating agent, a coatable, highly branched, ungelled, monofunctional comonomer endblocked, non-linear phenoxy resin of random structure devoid of regularly recurring units, with the average distance between the branch sites thereof being essentially of the same order of magnitude as the average branch length.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
93 words
In a vesicular film element comprising a film support and a coating therefor including a matrix resin and an imaging amount of a photosensitive vesiculating agent adapted to generate gas vescicles upon exposure to radiation and subsequent heat-actuated development, the improvement which comprises, as the matrix resin for the photosensitive vesiculating agent, a coatable, highly branched, ungelled, monofunctional comonomer endblocked, non-linear phenoxy resin of random structure devoid of regularly recurring units, with the average distance between the branch sites thereof being essentially of the same order of magnitude as the average branch length.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
54 words
The vesicular film element as defined by claim 1, said matrix resin comprising the copolymerization product of (i) at least one dihydric phenol, (ii) an epoxy comonomer having two epoxy functional groups, (iii) an epoxy or phenolic branching agent having a functionality greater than 2, and (iv) a monofunctional epoxy or phenolic endblocking compound.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
32 words
The vesicular film element as defined by claim 2, the amount of branching agent (iii) being such as to provide at least 10 mole percent of branch sites in the phenoxy resin.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
22 words
The vesicular film element as defined by claim 2 or 3, wherein the branching agent (iii) possesses a functionality of about 3.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
The vesicular film element as defined by claim 2 or 3, wherein the branching agent comprises an epoxy compound.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
16 words
The vesicular film element as defined by claim 5, wherein the branching agent comprises triglycidyl p-aminophenol.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
16 words
The vesicular film element as defined by claim 2, wherein the dihydric phenol comprises a sulfone.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
23 words
The vesicular film element as defined by claim 7, wherein the dihydric phenol comprises at least about 50 molar percent of sulfonyl diphenol.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
16 words
The vesicular film element as defined by claim 8, wherein the dihydric phenol further comprises resorcinol.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
15 words
The vesicular film element as defined by claim 2, wherein the dihydric phenol comprises resorcinol.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
30 words
The vesicular film element as defined by claim 2, wherein the molar ratio of dihydric phenol (i) to diepoxide (ii) is in the range of from about 0.4 to 2.4.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
17 words
The vesicular film element as defined by claim 2, wherein the endblocker (iv) comprises a glycidyl ether.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
30 words
The vesicular film element as defined by claim 2, wherein the endblocker (iv) comprises a phenol whose pka is within about one unit of at least one dihydric phenol (i).
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
22 words
The vesicular film element as defined by claim 2, wherein the endblocker comprises a mixture of a monofunctional epoxide and monofunctional phenol.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
19 words
The vesicular film element as defined by claim 2, wherein the coating of said element comprises a nucleating additive.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
19 words
The vesicular film element as defined by claim 15, wherein the nucleating additive is a fluorocarbon or silicone surfactant.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
103 words
In a vesicular film element comprising a film support and a coating therefor including a matrix resin and an imaging amount of a photosensitive vesiculating agent adapted to generate gas vesicles upon exposure to radiation and subsequent heat-activated development, the improvement which comprises, as the matrix resin for the photosensitive vesiculating agent, a coatable, ungelled, non-linear phenoxy resin of random structure being highly long-chain branched with a monomeric tri- or tetrafunctional compound, said branched phenoxy resin being devoid of regularly recurring units and having the average distance between the branch sites of essentially the same order of magnitude as the average branch length.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
103 words
In a vesicular film element comprising a film support and a coating therefor including a matrix resin and an imaging amount of a photosensitive vesiculating agent adapted to generate gas vesicles upon exposure to radiation and subsequent heat-activated development, the improvement which comprises, as the matrix resin for the photosensitive vesiculating agent, a coatable, ungelled, non-linear phenoxy resin of random structure being highly long-chain branched with a monomeric tri- or tetrafunctional compound, said branched phenoxy resin being devoid of regularly recurring units and having the average distance between the branch sites of essentially the same order of magnitude as the average branch length.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
15 words
The film element of claim 17, wherein the monomeric branching compound comprises a trifunctional compound.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
16 words
The film element of claim 17 or 18, wherein the monomeric branching compound comprises triglycidyl p-aminophenol.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
137 words
A vesicular image forming element comprising a support, and a vehicle coated thereon containing a an imaging amount dispersed sensitizer capable of generating gas vesicles upon exposure to radiation, said vehicle comprising a film-forming, thermoplastic long-chain branched phenoxy polymer having a gas diffusivity which permits internal formation of record-defining bubbles of gas liberated by said sensitizer during heat-actuated development of the element subsequent to exposure to radiation, wherein the phenoxy resin comprises the non-linear, ungelled reaction product of (i) at least one dihydric phenol, (ii) an epoxy compound having two epoxy functional groups, (iii) an epoxy or phenolic branching agent having a functionality greater than 2, wherein the amount of branching agent employed is sufficient to provide at least 10 mole percent branch sites in the polymer resin, and (iv) a monofunctional phenol or epoxy endblocker compound.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
137 words
A vesicular image forming element comprising a support, and a vehicle coated thereon containing a an imaging amount dispersed sensitizer capable of generating gas vesicles upon exposure to radiation, said vehicle comprising a film-forming, thermoplastic long-chain branched phenoxy polymer having a gas diffusivity which permits internal formation of record-defining bubbles of gas liberated by said sensitizer during heat-actuated development of the element subsequent to exposure to radiation, wherein the phenoxy resin comprises the non-linear, ungelled reaction product of (i) at least one dihydric phenol, (ii) an epoxy compound having two epoxy functional groups, (iii) an epoxy or phenolic branching agent having a functionality greater than 2, wherein the amount of branching agent employed is sufficient to provide at least 10 mole percent branch sites in the polymer resin, and (iv) a monofunctional phenol or epoxy endblocker compound.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
16 words
The vesicular element of claim 20, wherein the branching agent possesses a functionality of about 3.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
16 words
The vesicular element of claim 20 or 21, wherein the branching agent comprises an epoxy compound.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
15 words
The vesicular element of claim 20, wherein the epoxy (ii) comprises an aromatic diglycidyl ether.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
14 words
The vesicular element of claim 20, wherein the epoxy (ii) comprises resorcinol diglycidyl ether.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
15 words
The vesicular image forming element of claim 20, wherein the sensitizer is a diazo compound.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
14 words
The vesicular element of claim 20, wherein the dihydric phenol (i) comprises sulfonyl diphenol.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
13 words
The vesicular element of claim 26, wherein the dihydric phenol further comprises resorcinol.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
17 words
The vesicular element of claim 20, wherein the endblocker comprises a mixture of an epoxide and phenol.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
18 words
The vesicular film of claim 20, wherein the coated vehicle on the support further comprises a nucleating additive.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
16 words
The vesicular film of claim 29, wherein the nucleating additive is a fluorocarbon or silicone surfactant.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
105 words
A composition of matter comprising a phenoxy matrix resin and an imaging amount of a photosensitive vesiculating agent adapted to generate gas vesicles upon exposure to radiation and subsequent heat-actuated development, wherein the phenoxy resin comprises the non-linear, ungelled, highly long-chain branched reaction product of (i) at least one dihydric phenol, (ii) an epoxy compound having two epoxy groups, (iii) an epoxy or phenolic branching agent having a functionality greater than 2, wherein the amount of branching agent employed is sufficient to provide at least 10 mole percent branch sites in the polymer resin, and (iv) a monofunctional phenol or epoxide as an endblocker compound.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
105 words
A composition of matter comprising a phenoxy matrix resin and an imaging amount of a photosensitive vesiculating agent adapted to generate gas vesicles upon exposure to radiation and subsequent heat-actuated development, wherein the phenoxy resin comprises the non-linear, ungelled, highly long-chain branched reaction product of (i) at least one dihydric phenol, (ii) an epoxy compound having two epoxy groups, (iii) an epoxy or phenolic branching agent having a functionality greater than 2, wherein the amount of branching agent employed is sufficient to provide at least 10 mole percent branch sites in the polymer resin, and (iv) a monofunctional phenol or epoxide as an endblocker compound.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
15 words
The composition of matter of claim 31, wherein the composition further comprises a nucleating agent.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
21 words
The composition of matter of claim 31, wherein the composition further comprises a fluorocarbon or silicone surfactant as a nucleating agent.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1987-05-29 | 1987-11-28 | 1988-05-29 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1991-05-29 | 1991-11-28 | 1992-05-29 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1995-05-29 | 1995-11-28 | 1996-05-29 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |