US 5,856,073 AGranted

Two-part photographic chemical stabilizing kit and method of photographic processing

AssigneeEastman Kodak Company

InventorsJean M. Buongiorne, Stephen J. Waffle, Hugh G. McGuckin, John S. Badger

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

Silver halide photographic color films can be effectively stabilized using a chemical stabilizing kit of two concentrated chemical solutions that are mixed and diluted at least 5:1 when used. Each concentrated chemical solution contains some of the necessary chemicals for the processing solution, but keeping them individually packaged prior to use prevents biocide instability and other problems when all of the chemical components are mixed in concentrated form. One concentrated chemical solution includes hexamethylenetetramine and an alcoholamine such as diethanolamine. The other concentrated chemical solution includes the biocide(s) and one or more surfactants.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A photographic chemical stabilizing kit comprising, individually packaged:

a first concentrated chemical solution having a pH of from about 6 to about 9, and comprising hexamethylenetetramine (HMTA), and a water-soluble alkanolamine, and
a second concentrated chemical solution having a pH of from about 4 to about 5, and comprising one or more surfactants, and a biocide mixture comprising the two biocide compounds 5-chloro-2-methyl-4isothiazolin-3-one and 2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one,
provided that said HMTA, alkanolamine and two biocide compounds are present in said first and second concentrated chemical solutions such that when said first and second concentrated chemical solutions are diluted from about 5:1 to about 100:1 to form an aqueous stabilizing solution,
the concentration of said HMTA in said stabilizing solution is at least 3 g/l,
the concentration of said alkanolamine in said stabilizing solution is at least 0.5 g/l, and
the total concentration of said biocide compounds in said stabilizing solution is at least 5 ppm.

3 more elements

A method of processing comprising contacting an imagewise exposed, color developed, bleached and fixed silver halide color film with an aqueous stabilizing solution, said stabilizing solution prepared by mixing and diluting from about 5:1 to about 100:1, the following solutions:

a first concentrated chemical solution having a pH of from about 6 to about 9 and comprising hexamethylenetetramine (HMTA), and an alkanolamine, and
a second concentrated chemical solution having a pH of from about 4 to about 5 and comprising one or more surfactants, and a biocide mixture comprising the two biocide compounds 5-chloro-2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one and 2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one,
provided that said HMTA, alkanolamine and two biocide compounds are present in said first and second concentrated chemical solutions such that upon said dilution to form said aqueous stabilizing solution,
the concentration of said HMTA in said stabilizing solution is at least 3 g/l, the concentration of said alkanolamine in said stabilizing solution is at least 0.5 g/l, and the total concentration of said biocide compounds in said stabilizing solution is at least 5 ppm.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.