Photosensitive material employing encapsulated radiation sensitive composition

Claim 2

A photosensitive material comprising a support having on a surface thereof a plurality of capsules, said capsules containing, as the internal phase, a radiation sensitive composition which undergoes a change in viscosity upon exposure to actinic radiation, the sensitivity (log E) of said photosensitive material being less than 4.0 wherein upon exposing said material to actinic radiation and rupturing said capsules, said internal phase is image-wise released from said capsules and participates in forming a image.

Claim 3

The photosensitive material of claim 1 wherein said capsules are microcapsules having a discrete capsule wall.

Claim 4

The photosenstive material of claim 2 wherein said radiation sensitive composition comprises a photopolymerizable ethylenically unsaturated monomer, a photocrosslinkable polymer or a combination thereof.

Claim 5

The photosensitive material of claim 3 wherein said radiation sensitive material comprises a photoinitiator.

Claim 6

The photosensitive material of claim 4 wherein said radiation sensitive material is sensitive to ultraviolet, infrared, X-ray, electron beam, or visible radiation.

Claim 7

The photosensitive material of claim 5 wherein said internal phase carries, activates or mobilizes an image forming agent.

Claim 8

The photosensitive material of claim 6 wherein said image-forming agent is a color former or a color developer.

Claim 9

The photosensitive material of claim 7 wherein said image-forming agent is a substantially colorless electron donating color former.

Claim 10

The photosensitive material of claim 7 wherein said image-forming agent is an electron accepting color developer.

Claim 11

The photosensitive material of claim 8 wherein the sensitivity of said material is about 3 or less.

Claim 12

The photosensitive material of claim 10 wherein said material has associated therewith an electron accepting material which is capable of reacting with said colorless electron donating compound to form an image.

Claim 13

The photosensitive material of claim 11 wherein said electron accepting material is co-distributed on said support with said capsules in the same or a separate layer.

Claim 14

The photosensitive material of claim 11 wherein said electron accepting material is provided on a separate transfer sheet.

Claim 15

The photosensitive material of claim 13 wherein said colorless electron donating compound is present in said internal phase.

Claim 16

The photosensitive material of claim 4 wherein said image forming agent is a visible dye.

Claim 17

An image-forming process which comprises: image-wise exposing to actinic radiation a photosensitive material, said photosensitive material comprising a support having on a surface thereof a plurality of capsules distributed in a layer, said capsules containing, as the internal phase, a radiation sensitive composition which undergoes a change in viscosity upon exposure to actinic radiation, the sensitivity (log E) of said photosensitive material being less than 4.0, rupturing said capsules such that said capsules image-wise release said internal phase, and interacting said internal phase or an image-forming agent carried, activated, or mobilized by said internal phase with a developing agent to produce an image.

Claim 18

An image-forming process which comprises: image-wise exposing to actinic radiation a photosensitive material, said photosensitive material comprising a support having on a surface thereof a plurality of capsules distributed in a layer, said capsules containing, as the internal phase, a radiation sensitive composition which undergoes a change in viscosity upon exposure to actinic radiation, the sensitivity (log E) of said photosensitive material being less than 4.0, rupturing said capsules such that said capsules image-wise release said internal phase, and interacting said internal phase or an image-forming agent carried, activated, or mobilized by said internal phase with a developing agent to produce an image.

Claim 19

The image-forming process of claim 16 wherein said capsules are microcapsules having a discrete capsule wall.

Claim 20

The image-forming process of claim 17 wherein said radiation sensitive composition comprises a photopolymerizable ethylenically unsaturated monomer or a photocrosslinkable polymer or a combination thereof.

Claim 21

The image-forming process of claim 18 wherein said radiation sensitive composition comprises a photoinitiator.

Claim 22

The image-forming process of claim 19 wherein said internal phase contains an image-forming agent which reacts with said developing agent to form an image.

Claim 23

The image-forming process of claim 20 wherein said image-forming agent is an electron donating color former and said developing agent is an electron accepting color developer which reacts with said color former to produce an image.

Claim 24

The image-forming process of claim 21 wherein said developing agent is a toner having an affinity for said internal phase such that upon rupturing said capsules and contacting said photosensitive material with said toner, said toner selectively adheres to said material in the area of said ruptured capsules.

Claim 25

The image-forming process of claim 18 wherein said developing agent is a metal salt and said internal phase carries or mobilizes compound which reacts with said metal salt to form an image.

Claim 26

The image-forming process of claim 21 wherein said image-wise rupturing comprises rupturing said capsules in the exposed areas.

Claim 27

An image-forming process which comprises: image-wise exposing to actinic radiation a photosensitive material, said photosensitive material comprising a support having on a surface thereof a plurality of capsules distributed in a layer, said capsules containing, as the internal phase, a radiation sensitive composition which undergoes a change in viscosity upon exposure to actinic radiation and, the sensitivity of said photosensitive material being less than 4.0 rupturing said capsules such that said capsules image-wise release said internal phase and said internal phase image-wise carries, activates or mobilizes an image-forming agent, and image-wise transferring said image-forming agent capsules to a receiving sheet to form an image thereon.

Claim 28

An image-forming process which comprises: image-wise exposing to actinic radiation a photosensitive material, said photosensitive material comprising a support having on a surface thereof a plurality of capsules distributed in a layer, said capsules containing, as the internal phase, a radiation sensitive composition which undergoes a change in viscosity upon exposure to actinic radiation and, the sensitivity of said photosensitive material being less than 4.0 rupturing said capsules such that said capsules image-wise release said internal phase and said internal phase image-wise carries, activates or mobilizes an image-forming agent, and image-wise transferring said image-forming agent capsules to a receiving sheet to form an image thereon.

Claim 29

The image-forming process of claim 25 wherein said image-forming agent is a visible dye or pigment.

Claim 30

The image-forming process of claim 26 wherein said dye or pigment is present in said internal phase.

Claim 31

A transfer imaging system in which images are formed by image-wise reaction of one or more chromogenic materials and a developer, said system comprising: an imaging sheet comprising a first substrate, a chromogenic material, a radiation curable composition which undergoes an increase in viscosity upon exposure to actinic radiation, a coating on one surface of said substrate comprising said chromogenic material and said radiation curable composition, said radiation curable composition being encapsulated in rupturable capsules as an internal phase, said imaging sheet having a sensitivity (log E) less than 4.0, and a developer sheet comprising a second substrate and a developer material capable of reaction with said chromogenic material to form an image on one surface of said second substrate wherein images are formed by image-wise exposing said imaging sheet to actinic radiation, rupturing said capsules in the image areas such that said capsules image-wise release said internal phase and there is an image-wise transfer of said chromogenic material to said developer sheet and a patterned image-forming reaction occurs between said chromogenic material and said developer material.

Claim 32

A transfer imaging system in which images are formed by image-wise reaction of one or more chromogenic materials and a developer, said system comprising: an imaging sheet comprising a first substrate, a chromogenic material, a radiation curable composition which undergoes an increase in viscosity upon exposure to actinic radiation, a coating on one surface of said substrate comprising said chromogenic material and said radiation curable composition, said radiation curable composition being encapsulated in rupturable capsules as an internal phase, said imaging sheet having a sensitivity (log E) less than 4.0, and a developer sheet comprising a second substrate and a developer material capable of reaction with said chromogenic material to form an image on one surface of said second substrate wherein images are formed by image-wise exposing said imaging sheet to actinic radiation, rupturing said capsules in the image areas such that said capsules image-wise release said internal phase and there is an image-wise transfer of said chromogenic material to said developer sheet and a patterned image-forming reaction occurs between said chromogenic material and said developer material.

Claim 33

A transfer imaging system in which images are formed by image-wise reaction of one or more chromogenic materials and a developer, said system comprising: an imaging sheet comprising a first substrate, a chromogenic material, a radiation depolymerizable composition which undergoes a decrease in viscosity upon exposure to actinic radiation, a coating on one surface of said first substrate comprising said chromogenic material and said radiation depolymerizable composition, said radiation depolymerizable composition being encapsulated in rupturable capsules as an internal phase, said imaging sheet having a sensitivity (log E) less than 4.0, and a developer sheet comprising a second substrate and a developer material capable of reacting with said chromogenic material to form an image on one surface of said second substrate, wherein images are formed by image-wise exposing said coating to actinic radiation, and rupturing capsules in the image areas with said coating in facial contact with said developer sheet such that said internal phase is image-wise released from said capsues and there is image-wise transfer of said chromogenic material to said developer sheet and a patterned image-forming reactiong occurs between said chromogenic material and said developer material.

Claim 34

A transfer imaging system in which images are formed by image-wise reaction of one or more chromogenic materials and a developer, said system comprising: an imaging sheet comprising a first substrate, a chromogenic material, a radiation depolymerizable composition which undergoes a decrease in viscosity upon exposure to actinic radiation, a coating on one surface of said first substrate comprising said chromogenic material and said radiation depolymerizable composition, said radiation depolymerizable composition being encapsulated in rupturable capsules as an internal phase, said imaging sheet having a sensitivity (log E) less than 4.0, and a developer sheet comprising a second substrate and a developer material capable of reacting with said chromogenic material to form an image on one surface of said second substrate, wherein images are formed by image-wise exposing said coating to actinic radiation, and rupturing capsules in the image areas with said coating in facial contact with said developer sheet such that said internal phase is image-wise released from said capsues and there is image-wise transfer of said chromogenic material to said developer sheet and a patterned image-forming reactiong occurs between said chromogenic material and said developer material.