Recording material

A thermal recording material consisting essentially of a support having thereon a recording layer thermally deformable through exposure to high intensity radiation, the recording layer comprising a vacuum deposited layer of at least one organic compound selected from the group consisting of organic carboxylic acids, salts of organic carboxylic acids, esters of organic carboxylic acids, aromatic sulfonic acids, organic acylic sulfur compounds, nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds, sulfur-containing heterocyclic compounds, organic macromolecular compounds selected from the group consisting of polymethacrylic acid, polystyrene, polyamides, polyvinyl alcohol, polyethyleneoxide, methyl cellulose, polyvinyl butyral, polymethylmethacrylate, polyisobutylmethacrylate, polyethylene and rosin, dyes selected from the group consisting of azo dyes, anthraquinone dyes, indigoid dyes, soluble vat dyeing dyes, sulfur dyes, carbonium dyes, quinoneimine dyes, phthalocyanine dyes, cyanine dyes, quinoline dyes, nitro dyes and nitroso dyes and pigments selected from the group consisting of phthalocyanine pigments, anthraquinone pigment and quinoline pigments, wherein said vacuum deposited layer of said at least one organic compound comprises a vacuum codeposited layer of a mixture of (a) said at least one organic compound and (b) at least one inorganic material selected from the group consisting of one or more metals, one or more inorganic compounds, and mixtures thereof.

A process of recording information on a thermal recording material comprising a support having thereon in sequence a recording layer thermally deformable through exposure to high intensity radiation and a layer of one or more metals, a layer of one or more inorganic compounds or a layer of a mixture of said one or more metals and said one or more inorganic compounds, the recording layer comprising a vacuum deposited layer of at least one organic compound selected from a group consisting of organic carboxylic acids, salts of organic carboxylic acids, esters of organic carboxylic acids, aromatic sulfonic acids, organic acylic sulfur compounds, nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds, sulfur-containing heterocyclic compounds, organic macromolecular compounds selected from the group consisting of polymethacrylic acid, polystyrene, polyamides, polyvinyl alcohol, polyethyleneoxide, methyl cellulose, polyvinyl butyral, polymethylmethacrylate, polyisobutylmethacrylate, polyethylene and rosin, dyes selected from the group consisting of azo dyes, anthraquinone dyes, indigoid dyes, soluble vat dyeing dyes, sulfur dyes, carbonium dyes, quinoneimine dyes, phthalocyanine dyes, cyanine dyes, quinoline dyes, nitro dyes and nitroso dyes and pigments selected from the group consisting of phthalocyanine pigments, anthraquinone pigments and quinoline pigments, wherein said metal is magnesium, manganese, copper, zinc, aluminum, indium, tin or bismuth, and

• said inorganic compound is a metal sulfide selected from the group consisting of CrS, CrS.sub.2, Cr.sub.2 S.sub.3, MoS.sub.2, FeS, Fe.sub.2 S, CoS, NiS, Ni.sub.2 S, Cu.sub.2 S, Ag.sub.2 S, ZnS, In.sub.2 S.sub.3, In.sub.2 S.sub.2, GeS.sub.x wherein x is a positive real number of 2.5 or less, SnS and SnS.sub.2 ;
• a metal fluoride selected from the group consisting of MgF.sub.2, CaF.sub.2 and RhF.sub.3 ;
• a metal oxide selected from the group consisting of MoO.sub.3, InO, In.sub.2 O, In.sub.2 O.sub.3, and GeO;
• or a halide selected from the group consisting of AgI, AgBr, AgCl, PbI.sub.2, PbBr.sub.2, PbCl.sub.2, PbF.sub.2, SnI.sub.2, SnCl.sub.2, CuI, CuBr, CuCl, KI and KCl, which process comprises image-wise exposing said recording material to high intensity radiation to thermally deform both said recording layer and said layer of one or more metals, said layer of one or more inorganic compounds or said layer of a mixture thereof by the heat energy of the high intensity radiation.

A process for recording information on a thermal recording material comprising a support having thereon a recording layer thermally deformable through exposure to high intensity radiation, the recording layer comprising a vacuum deposited layer of at least one organic compound selected from the group consisting of organic carboxylic acids, salts of organic carboxylic acids, esters of organic carboxylic acids, aromatic sulfonic acids, organic acyclic sulfur compounds, nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds, sulfur-containing heterocyclic compounds, organic macromolecular compounds selected from the group consisting of polymethacrylic acid, polystyrene, polyamides, polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylenoxide, methyl cellulose, polyvinyl butyral, polymethylmethacrylate, polyisobutylmethacrylate, polyethylene and rosin, dyes selected from the group consisting of azo dyes, anthraquinone dyes, indigoid dyes, soluble vat dyeing dyes, sulfur dyes, carbonium dyes, quinoneimine dyes, phthalocyanine dyes, cyanine dyes, quinoline dyes, nitro dyes and nitroso dyes and pigments selected from the group consisting of phthalocyanine pigments, anthraquinone pigments and quinoline pigments, wherein said vacuum deposited layer of said at least one organic compound comprises a vacuum co-deposited layer of a mixture of (a) said at least one organic compound and (b) at least one inorganic material selected from the group consisting of one or more metals, one or more inorganic compounds, and mixtures thereof, comprising image-wise recording said recording material to high intensity radiation to thermally deform said recording layer by the heat energy of said high intensity radiation.