Molecular grafting of hardener/gelatin blends to energetically treated polyesters to promote adhesion of layers

A film element comprising:

• a polyester substrate having a surface exposed to a nitrogen plasma treatment, the treatment conditions comprising providing a pressure of between 0.02 and 2 Torr;
• and providing a treatment dose at the surface between 0.1 and 4 J/cm.sup.2 ;
• producing amine groups on the surface;
• a coating consisting essentially of an amine reactive hardener and gelatin wherein the amine reactive hardener is selected from the group consisting of 1,2-bis(vinylsulfonylacetamido)ethane, bis(vinylsulfonyl)methane, bis(vinylsulfonylmethyl)ether and bis(vinylsulfonylethyl)ether, 1,3-bis(vinylsulfonyl)propane, 1,3-bis(vinylsulfonyl)-2-hydroxypropane, 1,1-bis(vinylsulfonyl)ethylbenzenesulfonate sodium salt, 1,1,1-tris(vinylsulfonyl)ethane, tetrakis(vinylsulfonyl)methane, tris(acrylamido)hexahydro-s-triazine, copoly(acrolein-methacrylic acid), glycidyl ethers, acrylamides, dialdehydes, blocked dialdehydes, .alpha.-diketones, amine-reactive esters, sulfonate esters, amine-reactive halogenated polymers, s-triazines, diazines, epoxides, formaldehydes, formaldehyde condensation products, anhydrides, aziridines, amine-reactive olefins, blocked amine-reactive olefins, halogen-substituted aldehyde acids, polymeric hardeners, polymeric aldehydes, polymeric vinylsulfones and polymeric blocked vinyl sulfones;
• wherein the ratio of hardener to gelatin in the range 0.006 to 0.6 by weight and wherein the total dry coverage of gelatin and hardener is in the range 0.5 to 6 mg/dm.sup.2 and a photographic emulsion applied to the coating of gelatin and hardener.

A film base comprising:

• a polyester substrate having a surface exposed to a nitrogen plasma treatment, the treatment conditions comprising providing a pressure of between 0.02 and 2 Torr;
• and providing a treatment dose at the surface between 0.1 and 4 J/cm.sup.2 ;
• producing amine groups on the surface;
• a coating of amine reactive hardener and gelatin, wherein the hardener is selected from the group consisting of 1,2-bis(vinylsulfonylacetamido)ethane, bis(vinylsulfonyl)methane, bis(vinylsulfonylmethyl)ether and bis(vinylsulfonylethyl)ether, 1,3-bis(vinylsulfonyl)propane, 1,3-bis(vinylsulfonyl-2-hydroxypropane, 1,1-tris(vinylsulfonyl)ethane, tetrakis(vinylsulfonyl)methane, tris(acrylamido)hexahydro-s-triazine, copoly(acrolein-methacrylic acid), glycidyl ethers, acrylamides, dialdehydes, blocked dialdehydes, .alpha.-diketones, amine-reactive esters, sulfonate esters, amine-reactive halogenated polymers, s-triazines, diazines, epoxides, formaldehydes, formaldehyde condensation products, anhydrides, aziridines, amine-reactive olefins, blocked amine-reactive olefins, halogen-substituted aldehyde acids, polymeric hardeners, polymeric aldehydes, polymeric vinylsulfones and polymeric blocked vinyl sulfones, wherein the ratio of hardener to gelatin is in the range 0.006 to 0.6 by weight and wherein the total dry coverage of gelatin and hardener ids in the range 0.5 to 6 mg/dm.sup.2.