Method for processing silver halide light sensitive photographic material

Abstract: A processing method of a silver halide photographic material by using an automatic processor is disclosed, comprising the steps of developing an exposed photographic material with a developing solution in a developing tank, fixing with a fixing solution in a fixing tank and washing with a washing water or a rinsing solution in a washing tank, wherein the washing water or rinsing solution has the numer of funguses of 100 or less per ml.

Description: Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for processing a silver halide light sensitive photographic material and in particular to a processing method resulting in improved residual color. Background of the Invention Silver halide light sensitive photographic materials (hereinafter, referred to as photographic materials) are, after exposed, subjected to processing comprising steps of developing, fixing, washing (or rinsing), etc. The processing is generally carried out using an automatic processor (hereinafter, referred to as processor). Recently, improvements of shortening of the processing time and lowering of the replenishing rate of processing solutions have been made, and partially due thereto problems concerning residual color of processed photographic materials have been noted. generally, residual coloring occurs over all the photographic material and sometimes spot-like dye coloring also occurs. This is due to dyestuffs or spectral sensitizing dyes which are not completely decolorized or leached out of a processed photographic material and which accumulate on rollers after the washing step and thereby become attached to the photographic material. A number of techniques for reducing residual coloring have been proposed to date. For example, JP-A 1-159645 (the term, "JP-A" means unexamined, published Japanese Patent Application) discloses lowering of residual color by the use of a mercapto compound, or JP-A 2-71260 discloses reduction by using heterocyclic compounds. However, neither of these techniques achieve acceptable levels improvements. EP-A-0392443 is directed to a photographic silver halide photosensitive material processing apparatus and a method for preventing bio slime generation in a wash tank thereof, comprising a means for releasing silver halide cations into the wash water. US-4960683 is directed to a method for processing a black and white photosensitive material wherein at least one of the fixing, washing and stabilising steps is carried out in the presence of selected heterocyclic compounds. Suramary of the Invention There is now provided a method for processing a silver halide light sensitive photographic material by using an automatic processor comprising the steps of developing an exposed photographic material with a developing solution in a developing tank, fixing with a fixing solution in a fixing tank and washing with a washing water or a rinsing solution in a washing tank, characterised in that the washing water or rinsing solution is a) treated by electrolysis, ultraviolet-ray irradiation, exposure to ozone, ultrasonic methods or heating; and b) an antibacterial agent is incorporated in a resin which is used for the washing tank, or a gear or guide employed in the washing tank; or a coating containing an antibacterial agent is provided on at least a portion of the bottom or walls of the washing tank; so that said washing water or rinsing solution has a number of funguses of 100 or less per ml when measured by the surface plate method as set out herein. Preferably, in the processing method of the present invention, the amount of water or rinsing solution used in the washing or rinsing step of the processor is 30 ml to 6 liters per m 2 ; and preferably, in the processing method of the present invention in the washing or rinsing step of the processor, the immersion time in the water or the rinsing solution is between 1 and 10 sec. Detailed Description of the Invention In the invention, the referred to fungi are a germ such as bacteria or mold. The number thereof can be determined in the following manner. Surface plate method: 1. A medium which has been sterilized is transferred to a sterilized petri dish and coagulated therein to form a planar medium. As the medium are employed a broth extract agar medium for detecting bacteria and a potato-dextrose agar medium for detecting the mold. 2. After allowing condensed water to evaporate from the surface of the planar medium as described above, 0.1 ml of a sample is placed thereon and spreaded out over the surface of the planar medium using a stirring stick. 3. The planar medium is turned over and incubated in an incubator, in which the bacteria is cultured for 48 hrs. at 37° C and the mold is cultured for 1 week at 25' C. 4. After incubation, the number of colonies growing on the surface of the medium are counted and 10 times the number of colonies is used to represent as the number of fungi. Effects of the invention are remarkable at a washing flow rate of not more than 6 liters/m 2 , though it is also effective at more than 6 liters/m 2 . The effective immersion time in washing water or a rinsing solution is between 1 sec and 10 sec. In the case of less than 1 sec., an excessive amount of fixer components remain in the photographic material. The number of fungi in the washing water or the rinsing solution is preferably 100 or less per ml and more preferably 10 or less per ml. The washing water or rinsing solution used in the invention includes not only fresh water but also water in a washing tank or rising tank under continuous processing. Reduction of the number of fungi to 100 or less per ml can be accomplished by various means, such as electrolysis, ultraviolet-ray irradiation, exposure to ozone, ultrasonic methods and heating methods; in combination with the use of an antibacterial agent as described in claim 1. The above means will be described further in detail. Usable as an electrode used in the electrolysis is any commercially available one, such as a metal electrode and carbon electrode. An electrode with as large a surface area as possible is preferred and more preferred is porous graphite, The electrode potential is preferably 0.74 V or more (vs. a saturated calomel electrode). As the antibacterial agent is usable any compound or element capable of reducing the number of fungus to 100 or less per ml, based on the determination thereof, as described above, including metallic soap, ceramics, silver and copper. Further, an oxidizing agent, reducing agent,acid, base, zinc compound, aliphatic imide compound, quaternary ammonium compound, metal phthalocyanine, silver zeilite, phosphate salt, halo-di-allylurea, guanidine, phenol derivative and fatty acid ester are also usable. Examples of commercially available antibacterial agents include Apacider A35, Apacider A25, Apacider AW and Apacider NB (each, trade name, produced by Sangi Corp.), zinc stearate, magnesium stearate, lithium stearate, Holon Killer beads celler, 37-135, T37-035W, T19-033W, CC37-105W (trade names, produced by Nikko Co.), amino acid metallic soap such as aminometal, Zeomic (produced by Shinanen Co.), Bactekiller (trade name, produced by Kanebo), Ion-pure (trade name, produced by Ishizuka Glass Co.), antibacterial ceramics produced by Shito V Ceracs, Ice (produced by Shokubai Kasei) and Novalon (produced by Toa Gosei). The washing tank is previously treated with the antibacterial agent. At least one of these antibacterial agents is kneaded into a resin used for tanks, gears, rollers or guides of the washing or rinsing bath; and/or the antibacterial agent is contained in a coating on the bottom or walls of the tank. In either case, the antibacterial agent is preferably contained in an amount of 0.5 to 10% by weight. Exemplary examples of an ozone generator to perform antibacterial and antimold functions using ozone, include Pasteur Ozonizer LB series produced by Ozone Co., Ozonizer produced by Laycy Co. and an ozone generator produced by Nikko Kinzoku Kogyo Co. Presuming that the volume of a washing tank is about 15 liters, the ozone supplying amount (or generating amount) is preferably 0.72 to 1.44 mg/hr. The ozone supplying amount can be optionally set or varied by adjusting the applied voltage of the ozone generator. The setting or varying is performed through a control means. The ozone supplying amount can be determined from the total amount of discharged gas and the concentration of ozone in the ozone generator. The concentration of ozone can be measured, for example, using Ozone concentration measuring instrument Model DY-1500, produced by Osaka Direx Co. Sterilization by ultra-violet (UV) rays is described in "Shokuhin-kogyo no Senjo to Sakkin" (Washing and Sterilization in Food Industry), Chapter 13, published by Eisei Gijutsukai (1981). Techniques described therein are applicable to the present invention. There are employed various types of UV lamps, such as a straight tube type, a U-tube type, a V-tube type, a circular tube type and a double tube type. The output is preferably 4 to 60 W. Exemplarily, a low pressure mercury lamp is often employed. UV wavelengths of 220 to 300 nm effectively perform sterilization to decompose any ozone to produce active oxygen, and most effective are wavelengths of 253-255 nm. With regard to ultrasonic methods, there are employed ultrasonic generators with much lower output than those used for washing instruments, on the order of 100 mW or less. Accordingly, an apparatus becomes very simple and alkali batteries are sufficient as an electrical power source. The generator can be operated only when a processor is running. Washing water can be subjected to ultrasonic action continuously of only when the processor is running. Under these conditions, fur or mold is barely produced in the tank. There can also be employed plural ultrasonic apparatuses. Heat sterilization is preferably conducted with a heater, whereby the replenishing water or replenishing rinse solution to a temperature of 60° C or higher. Photographic materials used in the present invention are not specifically limited, and the present innovation is applied to photographic materials known in the art or those prepared by a variety of known techniques. With respect to processing chemicals and methods, there is specifically no limitation and those known in the art are applicable.

Claims: A method for processing a silver halide light sensitive photographic material by using an automatic processor comprising the steps of developing an exposed photographic material with a developing solution in a developing tank, fixing with a fixing solution in a fixing tank and washing with a washing water or a rinsing solution in a washing tank, characterised in that the washing water or rinsing solution is a) treated by electrolysis, ultraviolet-ray irradiation, exposure to ozone, ultrasonic methods or heating; and b) an antibacterial agent is incorporated in a resin which is used for the washing tank, or a gear or guide employed in the washing tank; or a coating containing an antibacterial agent is provided on at least a potion of the bottom or walls of the washing tank; so that said washing water or rinsing solution has a number of funguses of 100 or less per ml when measured by the surface plate method as set out herein. The processing method of claim 1, wherein in the step of washing, water or a rinse is replenished to the tank at a rate of 30 ml to 6 litres per m 2 of the photographic material. The processing method of claim 1, wherein in the step of washing, the photographic material is immersed in said washing water or rinsing solution for a period of 1 to 10 sec.

Inventors: HIRABAYASHI KAZUHIKO, HIRABAYASHI, KAZUHIKO
Applicants: KONISHIROKU PHOTO IND, KONICA CORPORATION
Application year: 1997
Main classification: G03C5
IPC codes: C07D213, A61L2, G03C11, G03D3, G03C5