Method for processing a black-and-white silver halide photographic light-sensitive material

A method of processing, by use of an automatic processor, a black-and-white silver halide photographic light-sensitive material comprising a support having thereon photographic component layers comprising a light-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer and nonlight-sensitive hydrophilic colloid layer, at least one of the component layers containing 1.times.10.sup.-6 to 1.times.10.sup.-1 mole per mole of silver halide of a hydrazine compound and 1.times.10.sup.-4 to 5.times.10.sup.-2 mole per mole of silver halide of a redox compound capable of releasing an inhibitor upon oxidation, the method comprising the steps of:

• exposing the photographic material to light,
• developing the exposed photographic material with a developer, said developer being replenished by a developer replenisher at a rate of not more than 200 ml per m.sup.2 of the photographic material, and
• fixing the developed photographic material with a fixer, wherein said developer has a pH of 9.5 to 10.8 and contains 10.sup.-5 to 10.sup.-1 mole per liter of developer of a compound represented by the following formulas (2-a), (2-b), (2-c), (2-d), (2-e), (2-f), (3-a) or (3-b):
• ##STR46## wherein R.sub.21 through R.sub.24 each represent a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, hydroxy, a mercapto group, a sulfo group, an amino group, a carboxy group, a carbamoyl group, a mercapto group, an alkyl group, an alkoxy group or an aryl group, provided that in Formula (2-a), am least one of R.sub.21, R.sub.22 and R.sub.23 is a mercapto group;
• in Formulas (2-b) and 2-e), at least one of R.sub.21, R.sub.22, R.sub.23 and R.sub.24 is a mercapto group;
• and in Formulas (2-c) and (2-d), at least one of R.sub.21 and R.sub.22 is a mercapto group;
• ##STR47## wherein R.sub.21, R.sub.22 and R.sub.23 each represent a hydrogen atom, hydroxy, a mercapto group, a sulfo group, an amino group, a carboxy group, an alkyl group or an alkoxy group, provided least one of R.sub.21, R.sub.22 and R.sub.23 is a mercapto group;
• ##STR48## wherein R.sub.31 through R.sub.34 a hydrogen atom, --SM.sub.31, hydroxy, --COOM.sub.32, an amino group, --SO.sub.3 M.sub.33, an alkyl group or an alkoxy group;
• M.sub.31, M.sub.32 and M.sub.33 represent a hydrogen atom, an alkali metal atom or an ammonium group.

A method of processing, by use of an automatic processor, a black-and-white silver halide photographic light-sensitive material comprising a support having thereon photographic component layers comprising a light-sensitive silver halide emulsion layer and nonlight-sensitive hydrophilic colloid layer, at least one of the component layers containing a hydrazine compound in an amount of 1.times.10.sup.-6 to 1.times.10.sup.-1 mole per mole of silver halide and a redox compound capable of releasing an inhibitor upon oxidation, the method comprising the steps of:

• exposing the photographic material to light,
• developing the exposed photographic material with a developer, said developer being replenished by a developer replenisher at a rate of 75 to 200 ml per m.sup.2 of the photographic material, and
• fixing the developed photographic material with a fixer,
• wherein
• said developer has a pH of 9.5 to 10.8 and contains 10.sup.-5 to 10.sup.-1 mole per liter of developer of a compound represented by the following formulas (2-a), (2-b), (2-c), (2-d), (2-e), (2-f), (3-a) or (3-b):
• ##STR49## wherein R.sub.21 through R.sub.24 each represent a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, hydroxy, a mercapto group, a sulfo group, an amino group, a carboxy group, a carbamoyl group, a mercapto group, an alkyl group, an alkoxy group or an aryl group, provided that in Formula (2-a), at least one of R.sub.21, R.sub.22 and R.sub.23 is a mercapto group;
• in Formulas (2-b) and (2-e), at least one of R.sub.21, R.sub.22, R.sub.23 and R.sub.24 is a mercapto group;
• and in Formulas (2-c) and (2-d), at least one of R.sub.21 and R.sub.22 is a mercapto group;
• ##STR50## wherein R.sub.21, R.sub.22 and R.sub.23 each represent a hydrogen atom, hydroxy, a mercapto group, a sulfo group, an amino group, a carboxy group, an alkyl group or an alkoxy group, provided that at least one of R.sub.21, R.sub.22 and R.sub.23 is a mercapto group;
• ##STR51## wherein R.sub.31 through R.sub.34 a hydrogen atom, --SM.sub.31, hydroxyl, --COOM.sub.32, an amino group, --SO.sub.3 M.sub.33, an alkyl group or an alkoxy group;
• M.sub.31, M.sub.32 and M.sub.33 represent a hydrogen atom, an alkali metal atom or an ammonium group;
• said hydrazine compound is represented by the following formula (H-a) or (H-b);
• ##STR52## wherein A represents an aryl group or a hetrocyclic group containing an oxygen or sulfur atom;
• n is an integer of 1 or 2;
• R.sub.15 and R.sub.16 independently represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, an alkynyl group, an aryl group, a heterocyclic group, a hydroxy group, an alkoxy group, an alkenyloxy group, an alkynyloxy group, an aryloxy group or a heterocyclic-oxy group, and R.sub.15 and R.sub.16 may combine with each other to form a ring containing a nitrogen atom, provided when n is 2, at least one of R.sub.15 and R.sub.16 is an alkenyl group, an alkynyl group, an aryl group, a saturated heterocyclic group, a hydroxy group, an alkoxy group, an alkenyloxy group, an alkynyloxy group, an aryloxy group or a heterocyclic-oxy group;
• R.sub.17 represents an alkynyl group or saturated heterocyclic group;
• said redox compound is represented by the following formula (R) ##STR53## wherein R is an aliphatic group, aromatic group or heterocyclic group, both of B.sub.1 and B.sub.2 are a hydrogen atom or a sulfinic acid radical substituent, or either of B.sub.1 and B.sub.2 is a hydrogen atom and another of them is a sulfinic acid radical substituent or --C(O)--R.sub.o, in which R.sub.o represents an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, an aryl group, an alkoxy group or an aryloxy group;
• V represents a carbonyl group, --C(O)C(O)--, a sulfonyl group, a sulfoxy group, an iminomethylene group, a thiocarbonyl group or --P(O)(R.sub.14)--R.sub.1, in which R.sub.1 is an alkoxy or aryloxy group;
• Time represents a bivalent linkage group;
• t is 0 or 1;
• PUG represents a photographically useful group.