Processes for achieving uniform, efficient distribution of hydrophobic materials through hydrophilic colloid layers and loaded latex compositions

A process of preparing a polymeric latex composition comprising

• (1) providing an aqueous latex consisting essentially of water as a continuous phase and from 0.1 to 20 percent by weight, based on total weight of the latex, of polymer particles of from 0.02 to 0.2 micron in average diameter as a dispersed phase, the polymer consisting essentially of
• (a) repeating units forming from 40 to 100 percent by weight of the polymer derived from at least one of
• (i) ethenic monomers of the formula ##STR43## where R is hydrogen, halogen or vinyl and
• R.sup.1 is hydrogen, halogen or methyl or, when R is hydrogen, cyano;
• (ii) styrene-type monomers of the formula ##STR44## where R.sup.2 is hydrogen or methyl,
• R.sup.3, R.sup.4 and R.sup.6 are hydrogen or lower alkyl of from 1 to 5 carbon atoms,
• R.sup.5 is hydrogen or with R.sup.4 constitutes the atoms necessary to complete a fused benzene ring or one of R.sup.5 and R.sup.6 is halomethyl;
• (iii) esters of 2-alkenoic acids having the formula ##STR45## where R.sup.7 is hydrogen or lower alkyl of from 1 to 5 carbon atoms,
• R.sup.8 is hydrogen, chlorine or lower alkyl of from 1 to 5 carbon atoms and
• R.sup.9 is alkyl or haloalkyl having from 1 to 20 carbon atoms, and
• (iv) vinyl acetate;
• (b) repeating units forming from 2 to 25 percent by weight of the polymer derived from a hydrophilic ethenic monomer having a molecular weight of at most about 300 and capable of forming a water soluble homopolymer;
• (c) repeating units forming from 0 to 30 percent by weight of the polymer derived from a acrylamide of the formula ##STR46## where R.sup.10 and R.sup.11 are hydrogen or an alkyl or haloalkyl substituent having from 1 to 5 carbon atoms;
• (d) repeating units forming from 0 to 60 percent by weight of the polymer derived from a hardenable ethenic monomer having a molecular weight of at most about 300 capable of reacting after polymerization with a gelatin hardener and
• (e) repeating units forming from 0 to 5 percent by weight of the polymer derived from a crosslinking monomer having a molecular weight of at most about 300 and having at least two independently polymerizable vinyl groups;
• (2) providing a solution consisting essentially of a hydrophobe having a solubility in distilled water at 25.degree. C. of less than 0.5 percent, based on the weight of the water, dissolved in a water-miscible organic solvent in a concentration of from 0.1 to 20 percent by weight, based on total weight of the solution, wherein the hydrophobe is chosen from among substantially water-insoluble, oleophilic photographic addenda of the type incorporated in imaging and associated hydrophilic colloid coating layers of silver halide photographic elements and the water-miscible organic solvent is selected from those which can be dissolved in distilled water at 20.degree. C. to the extent of at least about 20 parts by volume in 80 parts by volume of water, having boiling points above about -10.degree. C., do not detrimentally react with aqueous latexes containing the polymer particles and do not dissolve more than about 5 weight percent of the polymer particles at 20.degree. C., and
• (3) gradually adding the aqueous latex to the solution of the hydrophobe and the water-miscible organic solvent employing a volume ratio of the aqueous latex to the solution of the hydrophobe and the water-miscible organic solvent of from 1:4 to 4:1 and a weight ratio of hydrophobe to the polymer particles of from 1:40 to 3:1 while retaining the hydrophobe in solution and the polymer particles dispersed so that (a) the hydrophobe and the polymer particles are brought into intimate association and (b) the water-miscible organic solvent is diluted with water to reduce the solubility of the hydrophobe in the resulting continuous phase and thereby drive the equilibrium distribution of the hydrophobe away from the resulting continuous phase toward the polymer particles of the dispersed phase, with the result being the loading of the dissolved hydrophobe into the polymer particles.

A process of preparing a polymeric latex composition comprising

• (1) providing an aqueous latex consisting essentially of water as a continuous phase and from 0.1 to 20 percent by weight, based on total weight of the latex, of polymer particles of from 0.02 to 0.2 micron in average diameter as a dispersed phase, the polymer consisting essentially of
• (a) repeating units forming from 60 to 95 percent by weight of the polymer derived from at least one of
• (i) ethenic monomers of the formula ##STR52## where R is hydrogen, halogen or vinyl and
• R.sup.1 is hydrogen, halogen or methyl or, when R is hydrogen, cyano;
• (ii) styrene-type monomers of the formula ##STR53## where R.sup.2 is hydrogen or methyl,
• R.sup.3, R.sup.4 and R.sup.6 are hydrogen or lower alkyl of from 1 to 5 carbon atoms,
• R.sup.5 is hydrogen or with R.sup.4 constitutes the atoms necessary to complete a fused benzene ring or one of R.sup.5 and R.sup.6 is halomethyl;
• (iii) esters of 2-alkenoic acids having the formula ##STR54## where R.sup.7 is hydrogen or lower alkyl of from 1 to 5 carbon atoms,
• R.sup.8 is hydrogen, chlorine or lower alkyl of from 1 to 5 carbon atoms and
• R.sup.9 is alkyl or haloalkyl having from 1 to 20 carbon atoms, and
• (iv) vinyl acetate;
• (b) repeating units forming from 5 to 25 percent by weight of the polymer derived from a hydrophilic ethenic monomer having a molecular weight of at most 300 of the formula ##STR55## where R.sup.8 is as defined above,
• Q.sup.1 is --OM or a divalent organic radical which together with the carbonyl group of the formula forms an ester or amido linking group terminating in an ammonium or --SO.sub.3 M solubilizing group and
• M is hydrogen, ammonium or alkali metal;
• (c) repeating units forming from 0 to 10 percent by weight of the polymer derived from active methylene containing ethenic monomer exhibiting the formula ##STR56## where R.sup.12 is hydrogen, alkyl having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms or ##STR57## R.sup.13 is alkyl having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms, cycloalkyl having from 3 to 10 carbon atoms, phenyl or ##STR58## R.sup.14 is alkylene having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms and X.sup.1 is cyano or alkylcarbonyl having from 1 to 8 carbon atoms,
• provided that one and only one of R.sup.12 and R.sup.13 is always ##STR59## (d) repeating units forming from 0 to 3 percent by weight of the polymer derived from a crosslinking monomer having a molecular weight of at most about 300 and having at least two independently polymerizable vinyl groups;
• (2) providing a solution consisting essentially of a hydrophobe having a solubility in distilled water at 25.degree. C. of less than 0.5 percent, based on the weight of the water, dissolved in a water-miscible organic solvent in a concentration of from 0.1 to 20 percent by weight, based on total weight of the solution, wherein the hydrophobe is chosen from among substantially water-insoluble, oleophilic photographic addenda of the type incorporated in imaging and associated hydrophilic colloid coating layers of silver halide photographic elements and the water-miscible organic solvent is selected from those which can be dissolved in distilled water at 20.degree. C. to the extent of at least about 20 parts by volume in 80 parts by volume of water, having boiling points above about -10.degree. C., do not detrimentally react with aqueous latexes containing the polymer particles and do not dissolve more than about 5 weight percent of the polymer particles at 20.degree. C., and
• (3) gradually adding the aqueous latex to the solution of the hydrophobe and the water-miscible organic solvent employing a volume ratio of the aqueous latex to the solution of the hydrophobe and the water-miscible organic solvent of from 1:4 to 4:1 and a weight ratio of hydrophobe to the polymer particles of from 1:40 to 3:1 while retaining the hydrophobe in solution and the polymer particles dispersed so that (a) the hydrophobe and the polymer particles are brought into intimate association and (b) the water-miscible organic solvent is diluted with water to reduce the solubility of the hydrophobe in the resulting continuous phase and thereby drive the equilibrium distribution of the hydrophobe away from the resulting continuous phase toward the polymer particles of the dispersed phase, with the result being the loading of the dissolved hydrophobe into the polymer particles.

A process of preparing for use in forming a photographic element a polymeric latex composition comprising an aqueous continuous phase and a dispersed phase which consists essentially of polymer particles and dissolved in the polymer particles a hydrophobe of the type incorporated in imaging and associated hydrophilic colloid layers of silver halide photographic elements comprising

• (1) providing from 0.1 to 20 percent by weight, based on total weight, of a hydrophobe having a solubility in distilled water at 25.degree. C. of less than 0.5 percent, based on the weight of the water, chosen from among hydrophobic photographic addenda used to perform coupling, silver halide development, oxidized developer scavenging, spectral sensitizing or desensitizing, diffusion transfer dye imageforming and visible or ultraviolet light absorbing functions when incorporated in a silver halide photographic element, dissolved in a water-miscible organic solvent chosen from the class consisting of water soluble alcohols, ketones and amides, tetrahydrofuran, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, dimethyl sulfoxide and mixtures thereof;
• (2) providing an aqueous latex consisting essentially of water as a continuous phase and from 2 to 20 percent by weight, based on total weight, polymer particles as a dispersed phase, the polymer consisting essentially of
• (a) repeating units forming from 60 to 95 percent by weight of the polymer derived from at least one of
• (i) acrylate esters having the formula ##STR60## where R.sup.8 is hydrogen or methyl and
• R.sup.9 is lower alkyl having from 1 to 5 carbon atoms;
• (ii) styrene-type monomers of the formula ##STR61## where R.sup.2 is hydrogen or methyl,
• R.sup.3, R.sup.4 and R.sup.6 are hydrogen or lower alkyl of from 1 to 5 carbon atoms,
• R.sup.5 is hydrogen or with R.sup.4 constitutes the atoms necessary to complete a fused benzene ring or one of R.sup.5 and R.sup.6 is halomethyl and
• (iii) vinyl acetate;
• (b) repeating units forming from 5 to 15 percent by weight of the polymer derived from a hydrophilic ethenic monomer having a molecular weight of at most about 300 of the formula ##STR62## where R.sup.8 is as defined above,
• Q.sup.1 is --OM or a divalent organic radical which together with the carbonyl group of the formula forms an ester or amido linking group terminating in an ammonium or --SO.sub.3 M solubilizing group and
• M is hydrogen, ammonium or alkali metal;
• (c) repeating units forming from 0 to 10 percent by weight of the polymer derived from active methylene containing ethenic monomer exhibiting the formula ##STR63## where R.sup.12 is hydrogen, alkyl having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms or ##STR64## R.sup.13 is alkyl having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms, cycloalkyl having from 3 to 10 carbon atoms, phenyl or ##STR65## R.sup.14 is alkylene having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms and X.sup.1 is cyano or alkylcarbonyl having from 1 to 8 carbon atoms,
• provided that one and only one of R.sup.12 and R.sup.13 is always ##STR66## (d) repeating units forming from 0 to 3 percent by weight of the polymer derived from a crosslinking monomer having a molecular weight of at most about 300 and having at least two independently polymerizable vinyl groups;
• and
• (3) gradually adding the aqueous latex to the water-miscible organic solvent at a volume per second rate of less than 20 percent of the volume of the water-miscible organic solvent with the hydrophobe dissolved therein while agitating the water-miscible organic solvent until a proportion of aqueous latex to water-miscible organic solvent containing hydrophobe is blended in the volume ratio of from 1:4 to 4:1 and a weight ratio of the hydrophobe to the polymer particles of from 1:40 to 3:1.

A process of preparing for use in photography a hydrophilic colloid coating having a polymeric latex distributed therein comprising

• (A) preparing a polymeric latex composition comprising
• (1) providing an aqueous latex consisting essentially of water as a continuous phase and from 0.1 to 20 percent by weight, based on total weight of the latex, of polymer particles of from 0.02 to 0.2 micron in average diameter as a dispersed phase, the polymer particles being chosen from among those which, at 25.degree. C.,
• (a) are capable of forming a latex with water at a polymer particle concentration of from 10 to 20 percent, based on total weight of the latex,
• (b) exhibit no observable coagulation of the polymer particles when 100 ml of the latex is then mixed with an equal volume of a water-miscible organic solvent, stirred and allowed to stand for 10 minutes, and
• (c) contain from 2 to 25 percent by weight repeating units derived from hydrophilic ethenic monomers having a molecular weight at most of about 300, the monomers being capable of forming water-soluble homopolymers,
• (2) providing a solution consisting essentially of a hydrophobe having a solubility in distilled water at 25.degree. C. of less than 0.5 percent, based on the weight of the water, dissolved in the water-miscible organic solvent in a concentration of from 0.1 to 20 percent by weight, based on total weight of the solution, wherein the hydrophobe is chosen from among substantially water-insoluble, oleophilic photographic addenda of the type incorporated in imaging and associated hydrophilic colloid coating layers of silver halide photographic elements and the water-miscible organic solvent is selected from those which can be dissolved in distilled water at 20.degree. C. to the extent of at least about 20 parts by volume in 80 parts by volume of water, having boiling points above about -10.degree. C., do not detrimentally react with aqueous latexes containing the polymer particles and do not dissolve more than about 5 weight percent of the polymer particles at 20.degree. C., and
• (3) gradually adding the aqueous latex to the solution of the hydrophobe and the water-miscible organic solvent employing a volume ratio of the aqueous latex to the solution of the hydrophobe and the water-miscible organic solvent of from 1:4 to 4:1 and a weight ratio of hydrophobe to the polymer particles of from 1:40 to 3:1 while retaining the hydrophobe in solution and the polymer particles dispersed so that (a) the hydrophobe and the polymer particles are brought into intimate association and (b) the water-miscible organic solvent is diluted with water to reduce the solubility of the hydrophobe in the resulting continuous phase and thereby drive the equilibrium distribution of the hydrophobe away from the resulting continuous phase toward the polymer particles of the dispersed phase, with the result being the loading of the dissolved hydrophobe into the polymer particles;
• (B) blending the hydrophilic colloid with the polymeric latex composition so that the colloid is distributed within the resulting continuous phase of the latex;
• (C) removing at least about half of the water-miscible organic solvent from the polymeric latex composition prior or subsequent to colloid blending to reduce further the solubility of the hydrophobe in the resulting continuous phase and thereby drive the equilibrium distribution of the hydrophobe away from the resulting continuous phase toward the polymer particles, so that the polymer particles are further loaded with hydrophobe;
• (D) coating the polymeric latex composition with the hydrophilic colloid dispersed in the continuous phase thereof onto a support and
• (E) removing at least a portion of the water from the continuous phase of the coated polymeric latex composition to form a solid hydrophilic colloid coating.

A process of preparing for use in photography an element having at least one gelatin-containing layer having dispersed therein polymer particles of an average diameter in the range of from 0.02 to 0.2 micron with a hydrophobic photographic coupler being dissolved within the polymer particles comprising

• (A) preparing a polymeric latex composition by
• (1) providing dissolving from 0.1 to 20 percent by weight, based on total weight, of a hydrophobic photographic coupler having a solubility in distilled water at 25.degree. C. of less than 0.5 percent, based on the weight of the water, dissolved in a water-miscible organic solvent chosen from the class consisting of water-soluble alcohols, ketones and amides, tetrahydrofuran, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, dimethyl sulfoxide and mixtures thereof;
• (2) providing forming an aqueous latex consisting essentially of water as a continuous phase and from 2 to 20 percent by weight, based on total weight, polymer particles of from 0.02 to 0.2 micron in average diameter as a dispersed phase, the polymer consisting essentially of
• (a) repeating units forming from 60 to 95 percent by weight of the polymer derived from at least one of
• (i) acrylate esters having the formula ##STR71## where R.sup.8 is hydrogen or methyl and
• R.sup.9 is lower alkyl having from 1 to 5 carbon atoms;
• (ii) styrene-type monomers of the formula ##STR72## where R.sup.2 is hydrogen or methyl,
• R.sup.3, R.sup.4 and R.sup.6 are hydrogen or lower alkyl of from 1 to 5 carbon atoms,
• R.sup.5 is hydrogen or with R.sup.4 constitutes the atoms necessary to complete a fused benzene ring or
• one of R.sup.5 and R.sup.6 is halomethyl, and
• (iii) vinyl acetate;
• (b) repeating units forming from 5 to 15 percent by weight of the polymer derived from a hydrophilic ethenic monomer of the formula ##STR73## where R.sup.8 is as defined above,
• Q.sup.1 is --OM or a divalent organic radical which, together with the carbonyl group of the formula, forms an ester or amido linking terminating in an ammonium, hydroxy, --COOM or --SO.sub.3 M solubilizing group and
• M is hydrogen, ammonium or alkali metal;
• (c) repeating units forming from 0 to 30 percent by weight of the polymer derived from an acrylamide of the formula ##STR74## where R.sup.10 and R.sup.11 are hydrogen or an alkyl or haloalkyl substituent having from 1 to 5 carbon atoms;
• (d) repeating units forming from 0 to 10 percent by weight of the polymer derived from an active methylene-containing ethenic monomer exhibiting the formula ##STR75## where R.sup.12 is hydrogen, alkyl having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms or ##STR76## R.sup.13 is alkyl having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms, cycloalkyl having from 3 to 10 carbon atoms, phenyl or ##STR77## R.sup.14 is alkylene having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms;
• and X.sup.1 is cyano or alkylcarbonyl having from 1 to 8 carbon atoms,
• provided that one and only one of R.sup.12 and R.sup.13 is always ##STR78## (e) repeating units forming from 0 to 3 percent by weight of the polymer derived from a crosslinking monomer having a molecular weight of at most about 300 and having at least two nonconjugated vinyl groups;
• and
• (3) gradually adding the aqueous latex to the water-miscible organic solvent at a volume-per-second rate of less than 20% of the volume of the water-miscible organic solvent with the hydrophobic photographic coupler dissolved therein while agitating the water-miscible organic solvent until a proportion of aqueous latex to water-miscible organic solvent containing hydrophobic photographic coupler is blended in the volume ratio of from 1:4 to 4:1 and a weight ratio of the hydrophobe to the polymer particles of from 1:40 to 3:1;
• (B) blending gelatin with the polymeric latex composition containing the hydrophobic photographic coupler so that the gelatin is present in a weight ratio with the polymer particles of from 1:5 to 5:1;
• (C) removing at least about half of the water-miscible organic solvent from the polymeric latex composition prior or subsequent to colloid blending to reduce further the solubility of the hydrophobic photographic coupler in the resulting continuous phase and thereby drive the equilibrium distribution of the hydrophobic photographic coupler toward the polymer particles;
• (D) coating the polymeric latex composition with the gelatin dispersed in the continuous phase thereof onto a support;
• and
• (E) removing at least a portion of the water from the continuous phase of the coated polymeric latex composition to form a solid gelatin containing layer on the support.

A process of preparing for use in photography an element having at least one gelatin-containing layer having dispersed therein polymer particles of an average diameter in the range of from 0.02 to 0.2 micron with a hydrophobic dye image-former being dissolved within the polymer particles comprising

• (A) preparing a polymeric latex composition by
• (1) providing from 0.1 to 20 percent by weight, based on total weight, of a hydrophobic dye image-former having a solubility in distilled water at 25.degree. C. of less than 0.5 percent, based on the weight of the water, dissolved in a water-miscible organic solvent chosen from the class consisting of water-soluble alcohols, ketones and amides, tetrahydrofuran, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, dimethyl sulfoxide and mixtures thereof;
• (2) providing forming an aqueous latex consisting essentially of water as a continuous phase and from 2 to 20 percent by weight, based on total weight, polymer particles as a dispersed phase, the polymer consisting essentially of
• (a) repeating units forming from 60 to 95 percent by weight of the polymer derived from at least one of
• (i) acrylate esters having the formula ##STR79## where R.sup.8 is hydrogen or methyl and
• R.sup.9 is lower alkyl having from 1 to 5 carbon atoms;
• (ii) styrene-type monomers of the formula ##STR80## where R.sup.2 is hydrogen or methyl,
• R.sup.3, R.sup.4 and R.sup.6 are hydrogen or lower alkyl of from 1 to 5 carbon atoms,
• R.sup.5 is hydrogen or with R.sup.4 constitutes the atoms necessary to complete a fused benzene ring or one of R.sup.5 and R.sup.6 is halomethyl;
• and
• (iii) vinyl acetate;
• (b) repeating units forming from 5 to 15 percent by weight of the polymer derived from a hydrophilic ethenic monomer of the formula ##STR81## where R.sup.8 is as defined above,
• Q.sup.1 is -OM or a divalent organic radical which, together with the carbonyl group of the formula, forms an ester or amido linking group terminating in an ammonium or --SO.sub.3 M solubilizing group, and
• M is hydrogen, ammonium or alkali metal;
• (c) repeating units forming from 0 to 30 percent by weight of the polymer derived from an acrylamide of the formula ##STR82## where R.sup.10 and R.sup.11 are hydrogen or an alkyl or haloalkyl substituent having from 1 to 5 carbon atoms;
• (d) repeating units forming from 0 to 10 percent by weight of the polymer derived from an active methylene-containing ethenic monomer exhibiting the formula ##STR83## where R.sup.12 is hydrogen, alkyl having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms or ##STR84## R.sup.13 is alkyl having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms, cycloalkyl having from 3 to 10 carbon atoms, phenyl or ##STR85## R.sup.14 is alkylene having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms and X.sup.1 is cyano or alkylcarbonyl having from 1 to 8 carbon atoms,
• provided that one and only one of R.sup.12 and R.sup.13 is always ##STR86## (e) repeating units forming from 0 to 3 percent by weight of the polymer derived from a crosslinking monomer having a molecular weight of at most about 300 and having at least two independently polymerizable vinyl groups;
• and
• (3) gradually adding the aqueous latex to the water-miscible organic solvent at a volume-per-second rate of less than 20 percent of the volume of the water-miscible organic solvent with the hydrophobic dye image former dissolved therein while agitating the water-miscible organic solvent containing hydrophobic dye image-former is blended in the volume ratio of 1:4 to 4:1 and a weight ratio of the hydrophobic dye image-former to the polymer particles of from 1:10 to 3:1;
• (B) blending gelatin with the polymeric latex composition containing the hydrophobic dye image-former so that gelatin is present in a weight ratio with the polymer particles of from 1:5 to 5:1;
• (C) removing at least about half of the water-miscible organic solvent from the polymeric latex composition prior or subsequent to colloid blending to reduce further the solubility of the hydrophobic dye image-former in the resulting continuous phase and thereby drive the equilibrium distribution of the hydrophobic dye image-former away from the resulting continuous phase toward the polymer particles;
• (D) coating the polymeric latex composition with the gelatin dispersed in the continuous phase thereof onto a support and
• (E) removing at least a portion of the water from the continuous phase of the coated polymeric latex composition to form a solid gelatin containing layer.

A process of preparing for use in photography an element having at least one gelatin containing layer having dispersed therein polymer particles of an average diameter in the range of from 0.02 to 0.2 micron with a hydrophobic photographic silver halide developing agent or oxidized silver halide developing agent scavenger being dissolved within the polymer particles comprising

• (A) preparing a loaded polymeric latex composition by
• (1) providing from 0.1 to 20 percent by weight, based on total weight, of a hydrophobe which is a hydrophobic photographic silver halide developing agent or an oxidized silver halide developing agent scavenger each having a solubility in distilled water at 25.degree. C. of less than 0.5 percent, based on the weight of the water, dissolved in a water-miscible organic solvent chosen from the class consisting of water soluble alcohols, ketones and amides, tetrahydrofuran, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, dimethyl sulfoxide and mixtures thereof;
• (2) providing an aqueous latex consisting essentially of water as a continuous phase and from 2 to 20 percent by weight, based on total weight, polymer particles as a dispersed phase, the polymer consisting essentially of
• (a) repeating unites forming from 60 to 95 percent by weight of the polymer derived from at least one of
• (i) acrylate esters having the formula ##STR87## where R.sup.8 is hydrogen or methyl and
• R.sup.9 is lower alkyl having from 1 to 5 carbon atoms;
• (ii) styrene-type monomers of the formula ##STR88## where R.sup.2 is hydrogen or methyl,
• R.sup.3, R.sup.4 and R.sup.6 are hydrogen or lower alkyl of from 1 to 5 carbon atoms,
• R.sup.5 is hydrogen or with R.sup.4 constitutes the atoms necessary to complete a fused benzene ring or one of R.sup.5 and R.sup.6 is halomethyl, and
• (iii) vinyl acetate;
• (b) repeating units forming from 5 to 15 percent by weight of the polymer derived from a hydrophilic ethenic monomer of the formula ##STR89## where R.sup.8 is as defined above,
• Q.sup.1 is -OM or a divalent organic radical which together with the carbonyl group of the formula forms an ester or amido linking group terminating in an ammonium or --SO.sub.3 M solibilizing group and
• M is hydrogen, ammonium or alkali metal;
• (c) repeating units forming from 0 to 30 percent by weight of the polymer derived from an acrylamide of the formula ##STR90## where R.sup.10 and R.sup.11 are hydrogen or an alkyl or haloalkyl substituent having from 1 to 5 carbon atoms;
• (d) repeating units forming from 0 to 10 percent by weight of the polymer derived from active methylene containing ethenic monomer exhibiting the formula ##STR91## where R.sup.12 is hydrogen, alkyl having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms or ##STR92## R.sup.13 is alkyl having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms, cycloalkyl having from 3 to 10 carbon atoms, phenyl or ##STR93## R.sup.14 is alkylene having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms and X.sup.1 is cyano or alkylcarbonyl having from 1 to 8 carbon atoms, provided that one and only one of R.sup.12 and R.sup.13 is always ##STR94## (e) repeating units forming from 0 to 3 percent by weight of the polymer derived from a crosslinking monomer having a molecular weight of at most about 300 and having at least two independently polymerizable vinyl groups;
• and
• (3) gradually adding the aqueous latex to the water-miscible organic solvent at a volume per second rate of less than 20% of the volume of the water-miscible organic solvent with the hydrophobe dissolved therein while agitating the water-miscible organic solvent until a proportion of aqueous latex to water-miscible organic solvent containing hydrophobe is blended in the volume ratio of from 1:4 to 4:1 and a weight ratio of the hydrophobe to the polymer particles of from 1:10 to 2:1;
• (B) blending gelatin with the polymeric latex composition containing the hydrophobe so that gelatin is present in a weight ratio with the polymer particles of from 1:5 to 5:1;
• (C) removing at least about half of the water-miscible organic solvent from the polymeric latex composition prior or subsequent to colloid blending to reduce further the solubility of the hydrophobe in the resulting continuous phase and thereby drive the equilibrium distribution of the hydrophobe away from the resulting continuous phase toward the polymer particles;
• (D) coating the polymeric latex composition with the gelatin dispersed in the continuous phase thereof onto a support and
• (E) removing at least a portion of the water from the continuous phase of the coated polymeric latex composition to form a solid gelatin continuing layer.

A process of preparing for use in photography an element having at least one gelatin containing layer having dispersed polymer particles of an average diameter in the range of from 0.02 to 0.2 micron with a hydrophobic ultraviolet absorber being present within the polymer particles comprising

• (A) preparing a polymeric latex composition by
• (1) providing from 0.1 to 20 percent by weight, based on total weight, of a hydrophobic ultraviolet absorber having a solubility in distilled water at 25.degree. C. of less than 0.5 percent, based on the weight of the water, dissolved in a water-miscible organic solvent chosen from the class consisting of water soluble alcohols, ketones and amides, tetrahydrofuran, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, dimethyl sulfoxide and mixtures thereof;
• (2) providing an aqueous latex consisting essentially of water as a continuous phase and from 2 to 20 percent by weight, based on total weight, polymer particles as a dispersed phase, the polymer consisting essentially of
• (a) repeating units forming from 60 to 95 percent by weight of the polymer derived from at least one of
• (i) acrylate esters having the formula ##STR95## where R.sup.8 is hydrogen or methyl and
• R.sup.9 is lower alkyl having from 1 to 5 carbon atoms;
• (ii) styrene-type monomers of the formula ##STR96## where R.sup.2 is hydrogen or methyl,
• R.sup.3, R.sup.4 and R.sup.6 are hydrogen or lower alkyl of from 1 to 5 carbon atoms,
• R.sup.5 is hydrogen or with R.sup.4 constitutes the atoms necessary to complete a fused benzene ring or one of R.sup.5 and R.sup.6 is halomethyl, and
• (iii) vinyl acetate;
• (b) repeating units forming from 5 to 15 percent by weight of the polymer derived from a hydrophilic ethenic monomer having a molecular weight of at most 300 of the formula ##STR97## where R.sup.8 is as defined above,
• Q.sup.1 is --OM or a divalent organic radical which together with the carbonyl group of the formula forms an ester or amido linking group terminating in an ammonium or --SO.sub.3 M solubilizing group and
• M is hydrogen, ammonium or alkali metal;
• (c) repeating units forming from 0 to 30 percent by weight of the polymer derived from an acrylamide of the formula ##STR98## where R.sup.10 and R.sup.11 are hydrogen or an alkyl or haloalkyl substituent having from 1 to 5 carbon atoms;
• (d) repeating units forming from 0 to 10 percent by weight of the polymer derived from active methylene containing ethenic monomer exhibiting the formula ##STR99## where R.sup.12 is hydrogen, alkyl having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms or ##STR100## R.sup.13 is alkyl having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms, cycloalkyl having from 3 to 10 carbon atoms, phenyl or ##STR101## R.sup.14 is alkyelene having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms and X.sup.1 is cyano or alkylcarbonyl having from 1 to 8 carbon atoms, provided that one and only one of R.sup.12 and R.sup.13 is always ##STR102## (e) repeating units forming from 0 to 3 percent by weight of the polymer derived from a crosslinking monomer having a molecular weight of at most about 300 and having at least two independently polymerizable vinyl groups and
• (3) gradually adding the aqueous latex to the water-miscible organic solvent at a volume per second rate of less than 20% of the volume of the water-miscible organic solvent with the hydrophobic ultraviolet absorber dissolved therein while agitating the water-miscible organic solvent until a proportion of aqueous latex to water-miscible organic solvent containing hydrophobic ultraviolet absorber is blended in the volume ratio of from 1:4 to 4:1 and a weight ratio of the ultraviolet absorber to the polymer particles of from 1:40 to 3:1;
• (B) blending gelatin with the polymeric latex composition containing the hydrophobic ultraviolet absorber so that gelatin is present in a weight ratio with the polymer particles of from 1:5 to 5:1;
• (C) removing at least about half of the water-miscible organic solvent from the polymeric latex composition prior or subsequent to colloid blending to reduce further the solubility of the hydrophobic ultraviolet absorber in the resulting continuous phase and thereby drive the equilibrium distribution of the hydrophobic ultraviolet absorber away from the resulting continuous phase toward the polymer particles;
• (D) coating the polymeric latex composition with the gelatin dispersed in the continuous phase thereof onto a support and
• (E) removing at least a portion of the water from the continuous phase of the coated polymeric latex composition to form a solid gelatin-containing layer.

A process of preparing for use in photography an element having at least one gelatin containing layer having dispersed therein polymer particles of an average diameter in the range of from 0.02 to 0.2 micron with a hydrophobic photographic dye being present in the layer comprising

• (A) preparing a polymeric latex composition by
• (1) providing from 0.1 to 20 percent by weight, based on total weight, of a hydrophobic photographic dye having a solubility in distilled water at 25.degree. C. of less than 0.5 percent, based on the weight of the water, dissolved in a water-miscible organic solvent chosen from the class consisting of water soluble alcohols, ketones and amides, tetrahydrofuran, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, dimethyl sulfoxide and mixtures thereof;
• (2) providing an aqueous latex consisting essentially of water as a continuous phase and from 2 to 20 percent by weight, based on total weight, polymer particles as a dispersed phase, the polymer consisting essentially of
• (a) repeating units forming from 60 to 95 percent by weight of the polymer derived from at least one of
• (i) acrylate esters having the formula ##STR104## where R.sup.8 is hydrogen or methyl and
• R.sup.9 is lower alkyl having from 1 to 5 carbon atoms;
• (ii) styrene-type monomers of the formula ##STR105## where R.sup.2 is hydrogen or methyl,
• R.sup.3, R.sup.4 and R.sup.6 are hydrogen or lower alkyl of from 1 to 5 carbon atoms,
• R.sup.5 is hydrogen or with R.sup.4 constitutes the atoms necessary to complete a fused benzene ring or one of R.sup.5 and R.sup.6 is halomethyl, and
• (iii) vinyl acetate
• (b) repeating units forming from 5 to 15 percent by weight of the polymer derived from a hydrophilic ethenic monomer having a molecular weight of at most 300 of the formula ##STR106## where R.sup.8 is as defined above,
• Q.sup.1 is --OM or a divalent organic radical which together with the carbonyl group of the formula forms an ester or amido linking group terminating in an ammonium or --SO.sub.3 M solubilizing group and
• M is hydrogen, ammonium or alkali metal;
• (c) repeating units forming from 0 to 30 percent by weight of the polymer derived from an acrylamide of the formula ##STR107## where R.sup.10 and R.sup.11 are hydrogen or an alkyl or haloalkyl substituent having from 1 to 5 carbon atoms;
• (d) repeating units forming from 0 to 10 percent by weight of the polymer derived from active methylene containing ethenic monomer exhibiting the formula ##STR108## where R.sup.12 is hydrogen, alkyl having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms or ##STR109## R.sup.13 is alkyl having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms, cycloalkyl having from 3 to 10 carbon atoms, phenyl or ##STR110## R.sup.14 is alkylene having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms and X.sup.1 is cyano or alkylcarbonyl having from 1 to 8 carbon atoms, provided that one and only one of R.sup.12 and R.sup.13 is always ##STR111## (e) repeating units forming from 0 to 3 percent by weight of the polymer derived from a crosslinking monomer having a molecular weight of at most about 300 and having at least two independently polymerizable vinyl groups and
• (3) gradually adding the aqueous latex to the water-miscible organic solvent at a volume per second rate of less than 20% of the volume of the water-miscible organic solvent with the hydrophobic photographic dye dissolved therein while agitating the water-miscible organic solvent until a proportion of aqueous latex to water-miscible organic solvent containing hydrophobic photographic dye is blended in the volume ratio of from 1:4 to 4:1 and a weight ratio of the photographic dye to the polymer particles of from 1:10 to 2:1;
• (B) blending gelatin with the polymeric latex composition containing the hydrophobic photographic dye so that gelatin is present in a weight ratio with the polymer particles of from 1:5 to 5:1;
• (C) removing at least about half of the water-miscible organic solvent from the polymeric latex composition prior or subsequent to colloid blending to reduce further the solubility of the hydrophobic photographic dye in the resulting continuous phase and thereby drive the equilibrium distribution of the hydrophobic photographic dye away from the resulting continuous phase toward the polymer particles;
• (D) coating the polymeric latex composition with the gelatin dispersed in the continuous phase thereof onto a support and
• (E) removing at least a portion of the water from the continuous phase of the coated polymeric latex composition to form a solid gelatin containing layer.