Non-hydroquinone photographic developer composition with lith quality and its method of usage

Abstract

A non-hydroquinone photographic developer composition comprising: (a) a developer selected from the group consisting of ascorbic acid and sugar-type derivatives thereof, or alkali metal salts and mixtures thereof, in an amount of 0.1 to 0.4 mol/liter (mol/l); (b) an effective amount of an auxiliary developing agent comprising a 3-pyrazolidone compound, an aminophenol or a mixture thereof; (c) an alkali metal sulfite in an amount less than or equal to 0.32 mol/l; (d) an alkali metal carbonate in an amount of 0.1 to 0.4 mol/l; (e) an alkali metal hydroxide in an amount of from 0.08 to 2.0 mols/l; (f) with the developer composition having a pH of 11.8 or higher at 25° C.; and (g) the developer composition does not contain an alkanolamine or contains an alkanolamine in an amount of less than 5 g/l; where the developer composition is useful for processing standard rapid access films while showing an especially advantageous effect in the processing of silver halide emulsions containing a hydrazine compound to achieve lith quality, and high dot quality in a stable development solution.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A non-hydroquinone photographic developer composition comprising: 
       (a) a developer selected from the group consisting of ascorbic acid and sugar-type derivatives thereof, or alkali metal salts and mixtures thereof, in an amount of 0.1 to 0.4 mol/liter (mol/l);  
       (b) an effective amount of an auxiliary developing agent comprising a 3-pyrazolidone compound, an aminophenol or a mixture thereof;  
       (c) an alkali metal sulfite in an amount less than or equal to 0.32 mol/l;  
       (d) an alkali metal carbonate in an amount of 0.1 to 0.4 mol/l;  
       (e) an alkali metal hydroxide in an amount of from 0.08 to 2.0 mols/l;  
       (f) with the developer composition having a pH of from 11.8 to 13.5 at 25° C.; and  
       (g) said developer composition does not contain an alkanolamine or contains an alkanolamine in an amount of less than 5 g/l.  
     
     
       2. The non-hydroquinone photographic developer composition of  claim 1 , wherein said developer composition has a pH of from 12.05 to 13.5 at 25° C. 
     
     
       3. The non-hydroquinone photographic developer composition of  claim 1 , wherein said developer composition has a pH of from 12.5 to 13.5 at 25° C. 
     
     
       4. The non-hydroquinone photographic developer composition of  claim 1 , wherein said developer is selected from the group consisting of l-ascorbic acid, d-erythroascorbic acid, d-gluco-ascorbic acid, B-deoxy-l-ascorbic acid, l-rhamno-ascorbic acid, l-fucoascorbic acid, d-glucohepto-ascorbic acod, sorboascorbic acid, imino-l-ascorbic acid, ω-lactoascorbic acid, maltoascorbic acid, l-araboascorbic acid, l-glucoascorbic acid, d-galactoascorbic acid, l-guloascorbic acid and l-alloascorbic acid. 
     
     
       5. The non-hydroquinone photographic developer composition of  claim 1 , wherein said developer comprises an alkali metal salt of ascorbic acid. 
     
     
       6. The non-hydroquinone photographic developer composition of  claim 1 , wherein said developer composition substantially does not contain an alkanolamine. 
     
     
       7. The non-hydroquinone photographic developer composition of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more of 
       (h) a restrainer to retard the development of non-exposed silver halide present in an amount of from 0.008 to 0.5 mol/l;  
       (i) an organic antifoggant agent in an amount of 0.02 to 2 g/l; and  
       (j) a sequestering or chelating agent in an amount of 0.5 to 3 g/l.  
     
     
       8. The non-hydroquinone photographic developer composition of  claim 7 , wherein said restrainer comprises sodium bromide; said organic anti-fogging agent comprises a misture of benzotriazole and 1-phenyl-5-mercaptotetrazole; and said sequestering agent comprises NA 2 EDTA. 
     
     
       9. The non-hydroquinone photographic developer composition comprising: 
       (a) a developer selected from the group consisting of ascorbic acid and sugar-type derivatives thereof, or alkali metal salts and mixtures thereof, in an amount of 0.1 to 0.4 mol/liter (mol/l);  
       (b) an effective amount of an auxiliary developing agent comprising a 3-pyrazolidone compound, an aminophenol or a mixture thereof;  
       (c) an alkali metal sulfite in an amount less than or equal to 0.32 mol/l;  
       (d) an alkali metal carbonate in an amount of 0.1 to 0.4 mol/l;  
       (e) an alkali metal hydroxide in an amount of from 0.08 to 2.0 mols/l;  
       (f) with the developer composition having a pH of from 11.8 to 13.5 at 25° C.; and  
       (g) said developer composition does not contain an alkanolamine.  
     
     
       10. A method of obtaining an image comprising developing an image-wise exposed black-and-white silver halide photographic material with a non-hydroquinone developer composition comprising: 
       (a) a developer selected from the group consisting of ascorbic acid and sugar-type derivatives thereof, or alkali metal salts and mixtures thereof, in an amount of 0.1 to 0.4 mol/liter (mol/l);  
       (b) an effective amount of an auxiliary developing agent comprising a 3-pyrazolidone compound, an aminophenol or a mixture thereof;  
       (c) an alkali metal sulfite in an amount less than or equal to 0.32 mol/l;  
       (d) an alkali metal carbonate in an amount of 0.1 to 0.4 mol/l;  
       (e) an alkali metal hydroxide in an amount of from 0.08 to 2.0 mols/l;  
       (f) with the developer composition having a pH of 10.3 or higher at 25° C.; and  
       (g) said developer composition does not contain an alkanolamine or contains an alkanolamine in an amount of less than 5 g/l,  
       wherein said photographic material does not contain an internally boosted silver halide emulsion and nucleator compound.  
     
     
       11. The non-hydroquinone photographic developer composition of  claim 9 , wherein said developer composition has a pH of from 12.05 to 13.5 at 25° C. 
     
     
       12. The non-hydroquinone photographic developer composition of  claim 9 , wherein said developer composition has a pH of from 12.5 to 13.5 at 25° C. 
     
     
       13. The non-hydroquinone photographic developer composition of  claim 9 , wherein said developer composition comprises a developer selected from the group consisting of ascorbic acid and sugar-type derivatives thereof, or alkali metal salts and mixtures thereof, in an amount of 0.14 to 0.28 mol/liter (mol/l). 
     
     
       14. The non-hydroquinone photographic developer composition of  claim 1 , wherein said developer composition comprises a developer selected from the group consisting of ascorbic acid and sugar-type derivatives thereof, or alkali metal salts and mixtures thereof, in an amount of 0.14 to 0.28 mol/liter (mol/l). 
     
     
       15. The non-hydroquinone photographic developer composition of  claim 1 , wherein said developer composition comprises an alkali metal sulfite in an amount of from 0.04 mol/l to 0.32 mol/l. 
     
     
       16. The non-hydroquinone photographic developer composition of  claim 1 , wherein said developer composition comprises an alkali metal sulfite in an amount of from 0.04 mol/l to 0.24 mol/l. 
     
     
       17. the non-hydroquinone photographic developer composition of  claim 9 , wherein said developer composition comprises an alkali metal sulfite in an amount of from 0.04 mol/l to 0.32 mol/l. 
     
     
       18. The non-hydroquinone photographic developer composition of  claim 9 , wherein said developer composition comprises an alkali metal sulfite in an amount of from 0.04 mol/l to 0.24 mol/l. 
     
     
       19. A non-hydroquinone photographic developer composition consisting essentially of: 
       (a) a developer selected from the group consisting of ascorbic acid and sugar-type derivatives thereof, or alkali metal salts and mixtures thereof, in an amount of 0.1 to 0.4 mol/liter (mol l);  
       (b) an effective amount of an auxiliary developing agent comprising a 3-pyrazolidone compound, an aminophenol or a mixture thereof;  
       (c) an alkali metal sulfite in an amount less than or equal to 0.32 mol/l;  
       (d) An alkali metal carbonate selected from the group consisting of sodium carbonate and potassium carbonate in an amount of 0.1 to 0.4 mol/l;  
       (e) an alkali metal hydroxide in an amount needed to adjust the developer composition to a pH of from 10.3 to 12.5; and  
       (f) with the developer composition having a pH of from 10.3 to 12.5 at 25° C.