Thermal transfer image-receiving sheets

2:

• The thermal transfer image-receiving sheet according to claim 1, wherein a weight ratio of the segment (A1) to the segment (A2), segment (A1)/segment (A2), is from 55/45 to 95/5.

3:

• The thermal transfer image-receiving sheet according to claim 1, wherein the aromatic group-containing addition-polymerizable monomer is at least one monomer selected from the group consisting of styrene, methyl styrene, benzyl methacrylate and benzyl acrylate.

4:

• The thermal transfer image-receiving sheet according to claim 1, wherein a monomer from which a constitutional unit of the segment (A1) is derived, is at least one monomer selected from the group consisting of an unsaturated aliphatic carboxylic acid, an unsaturated alicyclic carboxylic acid and an unsaturated aliphatic alcohol.

5:

• The thermal transfer image-receiving sheet according to claim 4, wherein a content of the unsaturated aliphatic carboxylic acid, the unsaturated alicyclic carboxylic acid, or both, as the monomer is from 5 to 30 mol % on the basis of the carboxylic acid component for the segment (A1).

6:

• The thermal transfer image-receiving sheet according to claim 4, wherein the unsaturated aliphatic carboxylic acid is at least one carboxylic acid selected from the group consisting of fumaric acid, maleic acid and tetrahydrophthalic acid.

7:

• The thermal transfer image-receiving sheet according to claim 4, wherein a weight ratio of the segment (A2) to a sum of the unsaturated aliphatic carboxylic acid, the unsaturated alicyclic carboxylic acid and the unsaturated aliphatic alcohol as the monomers for the segment (A1), segment (A2)/sum of the above unsaturated group-containing components for segment (A1), is from 1/1 to 15/1.

The thermal transfer image-receiving sheet according to claim 1, wherein the graft polymer is a crosslinked graft polymer, and the crosslinked graft polymer contains a methyl ethyl ketone-insoluble component in an amount of from 50 to 85% by weight.

9:

• The thermal transfer image-receiving sheet according to claim 8, wherein the crosslinked graft polymer has a rate of swelling with methyl ethyl ketone of from 170 to 300% by weight.

10:

• The thermal transfer image-receiving sheet according to claim 1, wherein the dye receiving layer further comprises a compound (B) containing comprising a 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane moiety and having a melting point of lower than 30° C.

11:

• The thermal transfer image-receiving sheet according to claim 10, wherein a weight ratio of the resin (A) to the compound (B), resin (A)/compound (B), is from 100/5 to 100/40.

12:

• The thermal transfer image-receiving sheet according to claim 1, further comprising an intermediate layer comprising a water-soluble polymer and hollow particles between a substrate and the dye receiving layer.

14:

• The method for producing the thermal transfer image-receiving sheet according to claim 13, wherein said polycondensing comprises dissolving the polyester resin (a1) in a ketone-based solvent, adding a neutralizing agent to the resulting solution, and then adding water to the solution to convert the solution into a water phase.

15:

• The method for producing the thermal transfer image-receiving sheet according to claim 13, wherein said polycondensing comprises mixing the polyester resin (a1), the compound (B) and the aqueous medium.