Process for preparing polymeric oximes and compositions containing same

Abstract

A process for preparing polymeric oximes and photographic processing compositions containing polymeric oximes are described. The polymeric oximes are prepared by a process which comprises: introducing into an aqueous polymerization medium a portion of a polymerizable monomer to be polymerized, said polymerizable monomer having the formula ##STR1## wherein R is hydrogen or methyl, R.sup.1 is hydrogen, alkyl of from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, benzyl or phenyl, R.sup.2 is alkyl of from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, benzyl or phenyl, alkylene is a divalent alkylene radical having 1 or 2 carbon atoms, and R.sup.3 is hydrogen, alkyl of from 1 to 4 carbon atoms or phenyl; initiating the emulsion polymerization of said monomer, and while maintaining said polymerization, introducing substantially uniformly over the course of the polymerization, the remaining polymerizable monomer to be polymerized, thereby to provide a polymeric latex of polymeric particles of said polymerizable monomer in a water medium; contacting said polymeric latex with an organic solvent for said latex particles in an amount sufficient to effect swelling of the polymeric particles in said medium; and oximating the swollen polymeric particles by reaction with hydroxylamine salt and an amount of alkalinity sufficient to provide free hydroxylamine for said oximation but insufficient to effect alkali solubilization of the resulting oximated polymeric particles.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.