Process for forming images using body with reversible fixable and temperature-variable light extinctions

Am imaging process which comprises:

• image-wise heating a body to a temperature in excess of room temperature, and allowing said body to cool from said temperature to room temperature;
• said body comprising at least one organic polymeric or resinous matrix material (A) and at least one organic low molecular material (B);
• said low molecular material (B) containing 10 to 60 carbon atoms, exhibiting a change in volume of at least 5% upon changing from a solid phase to a liquid phase or changing from a liquid phase to a solid phase, being at least partially insoluble in said material (A), exhibiting a solid state refractive index which closely approximates or is the same as the refractive index of said material (A), and being selected from the group consisting of:
• an alkanol;
• an alkandiol;
• a haloalkanol or a haloalkandiol;
• an alkylamine;
• an alkane;
• an alkene;
• an alkyne;
• a cycloalkane;
• a cycloalkene;
• or a cycloalkyne;
• a saturated or unsaturated mono- or -di-carboxylic acid or an ester of an amide or an ammonium salt of the same;
• a saturated or unsaturated halogen fatty acid or an ester, an amide;
• or an ammonium salt of the same;
• an aryl carboxylic acid or an ester, an amide, or an ammonium salt thereof;
• a haloaryl carboxylic acid or an ester, an amide, or an ammonium salt of the same;
• a thiol;
• a thiocarboxylic acid or an ester, an amide or an ammonium salt thereof;
• or a carboxylic acid ester of a thiol or mixtures thereof, wherein in the aforesaid esters the alcohol groups can be saturated or unsaturated and/or halogen-substituted,
• said matrix material (A) and said low molecular material (B) being present in said body in a weight ratio of said material (B) to said material (A) of approximately 1:3 to 1:16;
• and matrix material (A) and said low molecular material (B) being selected such that said body possesses a temperature variable light extinction at room temperature in dependence upon heating to a temperature above room temperature, said variable light extinction characteristic being such that maximum light extinction is obtained by heating said body to a temperature T.sub.2 which lies above room temperature and cooling said body to room temperature;
• minimum light extinction is obtained by heating said body above a temperature T.sub.1 which lies between room temperature and said temperature T.sub.2 and cooling said body to room temperature;
• and light extinctions of varying magnitude are obtained by heating said body to a temperature between room temperature and said temperature T.sub.1 and cooling said body to room temperature;
• wherein:
• images of maximum light extinction are obtained by image-wise heating said body from a state in which said body exhibits minimum light extinction at room temperature, to a temperature above said temperature T.sub.2 and cooling said body to room temperature;
• images having light extinction of diminishing magnitude are obtained by image-wise heating said body from a state in which said body exhibits maximum light extinction at room temperature to a temperature T between room temperature and said temperature T.sub.1, and cooling said body to room temperature, and
• images of minimum light extinction are obtained by image-wise heating said body from a state in which said body exhibits maximum light extinction or light extinction of diminished magnitude at room temperature, to a temperature between said temperature T.sub.1 and said temperature T.sub.2 and cooling said body to room temperature.