Photographic elements coated with protective overcoats

A photographic element comprising

• (1) a support,
• (2) at least one image-bearing layer, and
• (3) protective overcoat layers which are permanently bonded to both the image-bearing side of said element and the support side of said element, each said protective overcoat layer having been formed by (a) coating the respective side with a radiation-curable coating composition which forms a transparent, flexible, scratch-resistant, crosslinked polymeric layer upon radiation curing, said coating composition comprising (1) an acrylated urethane, (2) an aliphatic ethylenically-unsaturated carboxylic acid, and (3) a multifunctional acrylate, and (b) subjecting said coating to radiation sufficient to cure it and bond it to the side of the element on which it is coated.

A photographic element comprising

• (1) a support,
• (2) at least one image-bearing layer, and
• (3) protective overcoat layers which are permanently bonded to both the image-bearing side of said element and the support side of said element, each said protective overcoat layer having been formed by (a) coating the respective side with radiation-curable coating composition which forms a transparent, flexible, scratch-resistant, cross-linked polymeric layer upon radiation curing, said coating composition comprising (1) an acrylated urethane, (2) an aliphatic ethylenically-unsaturated carboxylic acid, (3) a multifunctional acrylate, and (4) a photoinitiator, and (b) subjecting said coating to ultraviolet radiation sufficient to cure it and bond it to the side of said element on which it is coated.

A method of protecting a photographic element against abrasion and scratches which comprises (a) coating at least one side of said element with a radiation-curable coating composition comprising (1) an acrylated urethane, (2) an aliphatic ethylenically-unsaturated carboxylic acid, and (3) a multifunctional acrylate and (b) subjecting said coating to radiation sufficient to cure said coating and bond it to said element.

A method of protecting a photographic element against abrasion and scratches which comprises (a) coating both sides of said element with a radiation-curable coating composition comprising (1) an acrylated urethane, (2) an aliphatic ethylenically-unsaturated carboxylic acid, and (3) a multifunctional acrylate and (b) subjecting each said coating to radiation sufficient to cure it and bond it to the side of the element on which it is coated.

A radiation-curable coating composition which is useful for the formation of protective overcoats on photographic elements, said composition comprising (1) an acrylated urethane, (2) an aliphatic ethylenically-unsaturated carboxylic acid and (3) a multifunctional acrylate.

An element comprising a photographic support and a protective overcoat layer, said protective overcoat layer having been formed by (a) coating said element with a radiation-curable coating composition which forms a transparent, flexible, scratch-resistant, cross-linked polymeric layer upon radiation curing, said coating composition comprising (1) an acrylated urethane, (2) an aliphatic ethylenically-unsaturated carboxylic acid, and (3) a multifunctional acrylate, and (b) subjecting said coating to radiation sufficient to cure said coating and bond it to said element.