US3847615A

US3847615A - Image-receiving material for color diffusion transfer process

Info

Publication number: US3847615A
Application number: US00338715A
Authority: US
Inventors: T Miyazako; T Yoshida; S Sakaguchi
Original assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Ltd
Current assignee: Fujifilm Holdings Corp
Priority date: 1972-03-07
Filing date: 1973-03-07
Publication date: 1974-11-12
Anticipated expiration: 1991-11-12
Also published as: FR2175131A1; DE2311207A1; JPS4892022A; FR2175131B1; GB1396476A; JPS5246496B2

Abstract

An image-receiving material for color diffusion transfer processing is provided with a neutralization rate-controlling layer containing at least one polymer of the monomethacrylic or monoacrylic acid ester of a polyhydric alcohol.

Description

United States Patent i [1 1 Yoshida et al.

'[ Nov. 12, 1974 221 Filed:

- 21 Appl. No.: 338,715

[ IMAGE-RECEIVING MATERIAL FOR COLOR DIFFUSION TRANSFER PROCESS 75 Inventors: Takashi Yoshida: Shinji Sakaguchi:

Takushi Miyazako, all of Kanagawa, Japan [73] Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.,

Ashigara-shi, Kanagawa, Japan Mar. 7, 1973 [30] Foreign Application Priority Data Mar, 7, I972 Japan 47-23466 52 Us. Cl. 96/77, 96/3 UX, 96/119 R 51 Im. Cl G03C 1/40, 0030 7/00 [58] Field of Search..... 96/3, 77, 76 R, 29 D, 119 R [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Primary E.raminerDavid Klein Assistant Examiner-Richard L. Schilling Attorney, Agent, or FirmSughrue, Rothwell. Mion, Zinn & Macpeak 14 Claims, N0 Drawings.

l/l969 Taylor 96/3 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to an image-receiving material for a color photographic diffusion transfer process, more specifically, it relates to an image-receiving material for a color photographic diffusion transfer process, which image-receiving material has an improved layer for controlling the neutralization rate.

2. Description of the Prior Art In a general color photographic diffusion transfer process, a color former such as a dye developer or a diffusible coupler type developer has been incorporated in a negative light-sensitive layer together with a silver halide photographic emulsionand after exposing the negative light-sensitive emulsion layer, the negative layer is brought into contact with a positive layer with an alkali processing agent between them, whereby the silver halide photographic emulsion is developed and at the same time the above-mentioned color former is diffused into the alkali processing agent and then transferred into the positive layer.

As the color former, an alkaline and water-insoluble material has been mainly employed, but this type of color former is subject to the fault that when the positive layer containing it is exposed to air after the transfer is finished the material is oxidized to be decolored or to form stains. To prevent this, usually an acid poly mer layer for neutralization. is placed between the image-receiving layer and the support of the positive layer. That is to say, by placing the acid polymer layer for neutralization between the two layers, the dye image transferred can be prevented from being oxidized and thus the occurence of decoloring and the formation of stains are prevented.

However, if the neutralization of the alkaliprocessing agent by the acid polymer layer for neutralization proceeds too fast, the color former diffuses in the alkali processing agent only with difficulty owing to the reduction of pH, which results in lowering the efficiency of the diffusion transfer. Accordingly, it is necessary to control the neutralization rate or speed by further providing a polymer layer (hereinafter, this polymer layer is called a neutralization rate-controlling layer in this specificationlbetween the dye'image-receiving layer and the acid polymer layer for neutralization.

It is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,362,819 to employ I such a neutralization rate-controlling layer, the patent teaching the use of a polymer of polyvinyl alcohol, a partially acetalated polyvinyl alcohol or gelatin as the polymer for the neutralization rate-controlling layer as preferred. However, even when the polymer described in this patent is used for the neutralization ratecontrolling layer, a sufficient color density of formed images on the image-receiving layer is not obtained since the neutralization rate of the alkali processing agent is still too high even in such a case.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION One object of this invention is, therefore, to provide a polymer suitable for the neutralization ratecontrolling layer of an image-receiving layer.

2 transfer process capable of giving images having a high color density and lowered stains.

As the result of various studies for attaining the DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The image-receiving material for a color diffusion transfer process of this invention fundamentally comprises a support having thereon an acid polymer layer for neutralization, a neutralization rate-controlling layer and an image-receiving layer capable of mordanting dyes.

Examples of the support used in this invention are baryta-coated papers; laminate papers coated with a resin such as polyethylene polypropylene, and polystyrene; sheets of a cellulose organic acid ester such as cellulose diacetate, cellulose triacetate, cellulose butyrate, cellulose propionate and cellulose acetate butyrate; sheets of an inorganic acid ester such as cellulose nitrate; sheets of a polyester such as polyethylene terephthalate; sheets of polyvinylacetals such as polyvinyl I formal, polyvinyl butyral, polyvinyl acetal and polyvinyl benzal; and sheets of a polyalkylene such as polystyrene, polypropylene, polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride; polycarbonate, etc.

As the polymer for the acid polymer layer for neutralization of the image-receiving material of this invention there can be used any polymer having one or more Another object of this invention is to provide an image-receiving layer for a color photographic diffusion carboxyl groups, sulfo groups or a group which changes to a carboxyl group by hydrolysis, and which has a filmforming property, including homopolymers, copolymers or graft polymers of vinylbenzenesulfonic acid and like materials. The acid polymer preferably has a molecular weight of from about 10,000 to about 100,000. For example, there may be used the monobutyl ester of a l l copolymer of maleic anhydride and the monobutyl ester of the l l copolymer of maleic anhydride and methyl vinyl ether as described in the specification of U.S. Pat. No. 3,362,819. Other examples of the polymer for the acid polymer layer for neutralization are the monoethyl ester, the monopropyl ester, the monopentyl ester and the monohexyl ester of the l l copolymer of maleic anhydride and ethylene; the monoethyl ester, the monopropyl ester, the monopentyl ester, and the monohexyl ester of the l 1 copolymer of maleic anhydride and methyl vinyl ether; polyacrylic acid; polymethacrylic acid; copolymers of acrylic acid and methacrylic acid in various component ratios; and copolymers of acrylic acid or methacrylic acid and other vinylic monomers in various component ratios, e.g., for example, acrylic esters, methacrylic esters, vinylethers and the like, suitably containing at least 30 molar percent of acrylic acid or methacrylic acid, and preferably from about 50 molar percent to about molar percent of acrylic acid or methacrylic acid. Such a polymer as mentioned above is usually dissolved in an alcohol such as methanol, ethanol, propa- 3 nol and butanol; a ketone such as acetone, methyl ethyl ketone and cyclohexanone; an ester such as ethyl acetate and butyl acetate; or a mixture of these solvents, and then applied on the support as a solution.

While a copolymerization ratio of l 1 is given above, this is merely exemplary and a molar ratio of from from 100 to 0 100 can be used (at the bounds of this range, one must be sure at least one carboxyl and/or sulfo group is present).

The thickness of the acid polymer layer thus formed cannot be defined generally since it is well varied according to the composition and the amount of the alkali processing agent used, but it is suitably -30 microns.

The neutralization rate-controlling layer which is the most important feature of this invention will now be explained.

The polymer used in the neutralization ratecontrolling layer is an alkali permeable and water permeable polymer. Practically speaking, the polymer used in the neutralization rate-controlling layer is a homopolymer, copolymer or graft polymer of a monomethacrylic acid ester and/or a monoacrylic acid ester of a polyhydric alcohol.

There is no particular limitation on the polyhydric alcohol used so long as the resulting polymer is alkali and water permeable. However, preferred polyhydric alcohols used in this invention, which can be aliphatic or aromatic in nature, can be defined as compounds having at least two aliphatic hydroxy groups, preferably compounds having from 2 to 5 aliphatic hydroxy groups, and having from 2 to 12 carbon atoms. There are, for example, diols such as polyethylene glycol, polyethylene oxide, polypropylene oxide, polybutylene oxide, polycyclohexene oxide, polystyrene oxide, p0-

lyoxetane, polytetrahydrofuran, cyclohexane diol, xylhydroxypropyl acrylate 4-hydroxybutyl acrylate, 5-

hydroxypentyl acrylate, 2,2-dimethyl-hydroxypropyl acrylate, diethylene glycol monoacrylate, trimethylolpropane monoacrylate, pentaerythritol monoacrylate and the like.

As comonomers used to form copolymers with the above-mentioned esters used in this invention, any

addition-polymerizable monomer can be used, with preferred monomers being those having a vinyl or vinylidene group. There are, for example, amides or esters (having 3-15 carbon atoms) of acrylic acid or methacrylic acid, such as, acryl amide, methacrylamide, diacetoneacrylamide, acryloyl morpholine, alkyl acrylates and methacrylates such as methyl methacrylate, ethyl methacrylate, propyl acrylate, propyl methyacrylate, chloroethyl acrylate, chloroethyl methacrylate, butyl acrylate, pentyl methacrylate, hexyl acrylate and hexyl methacrylate, vinyl esters such as vinyl acetate, vinyl butyrate, vinyl propionate, vinyl benzoether; styrenes such styrene, chlorostyrene, methoxystyrene, methylstyrene, chloromethylstyrene, dichlorostyrene; acrylonitrile, methacrylonitrile, vinylpyrollidone, vinylimidazole, vinyl chloride, vinylidene chloride, methylvinylketone, vinylpyridine, vinylmethylpyridine, vinylethylpyridine, vinylmethylimidazole, the diacrylate of an aliphatic polyhydric alcohol, and the dimethacrylate of a polyhydric alcohol, with exemplary polyhydric alcohols being the same as heretofore recited. One or two or more of such comonomers can be copolymerized with the monomethacrylic acid ester or the monoacrylic acid ester.

In regard to the component ratio of the copolymers, it is preferred that the proportion of the monomethacrylic acid ester of the polyhydric alcohol or the monoacrylic acid ester of the polyhydric alcohol be more than 50 mole percent, particularly more than mole percent.

The molecular weight of the polymer used in the neutralization rate-controlling layer is usually more than 10,000, preferably from 50,000 to 600,000.

As components used to form a graft polymer with the above esters used in this invention, it is preferred to use gelatin, polyvinyl alcohol, polyacrylamide, carboxymethyl cellulose, starch, hydroxyethyl cellulose, etc.

The polymers used in the neutralization ratecontrolling layer can be prepared by any ordinary method such as a solution polymerization, a graft polymerization and the like. Practical examples of preparing the polymers are illustrated below.

Synthesis Example 1 200 g of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate was added to a mixed solvent of 550 ml of water and 550 ml of ethanol in a reaction vessel. After adding to the mixture 1 g of potassium persulfate and l g of sodium hydrogen sulfite, oxygen in the reaction vessel was purged with nitrogen gas and then the mixture was stirred for 4 hours at 60C. in the vessel.

The reaction product liquid was filtered and then poured in cold water of (10 times the amount the filtrate), whereby the purified polymer prepared by the reaction was precipitated. The polymer was recovered and dried by means of a vacuum dryer. The amount of the polymer was 160g and the molecular weight thereof was 350,000.

Synthesis Example 2 176 g of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate and 24 g of acrylamide were added to a mixed solvent of 550 ml of water and 550 ml of ethanol in areaction vessel. After further adding to the mixture 0.8 g of potassium persulfate and 0.8 g of sodium hydrogen sulfite, the vessel was purged with nitrogen gas and the mixture was stirred'for 3 hours at C. The reaction product wasplaced in a pouch of a dialysis film, and after conducting dialysis for 15-20 hours in running water the product was dried by means of a freeze dryer. The amount of the product was 197 g and the mean molecular weight thereof was 20,000.

Synthesis Example 3 300 g of 3hydroxypropyl methacrylate was added to a mixed solvent of 400 ml of water and 800 ml of ethanol in a reaction vessel, and after adding further to the mixture 1 g ofazobisisobutyronitrile the vessel was filled with nitrogen gas. The mixture was then stirred for 3.5 hours while maintaining the reaction system at a temperature of 70C. The reaction product liquid was filtered and poured in cold water times the amount thereof), whereby the polymer prepared by the reaction was precipitated. The polymer thus precipiated was recovered and dried by means of a vacuum dryer.

The amount of the polymer was 260 g and the mean molecular weight thereof was 570,000.

Synthesis Example 4 94 g of 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate was copolymerized with 106 g of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate in the same manner as in Synthesis Example 2. The amount of the copolymer thus prepared was 186 g and the mean molecular weight thereof was 230,000.

Synthesis Example 5 419 g of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate and 81 g of methyl-methacrylate were added to a mixed solvent of 500 ml of water and 1500 ml of methanol in a reaction vessel. After further adding to the mixture 1.5 g of henzoyl peroxide, the oxygen in the vessel was purged with nitrogen gas and then the mixture was stirred for 4.5 hours at 60C. The copolymer thus formed was purified and dried in the same manner as in Synthesis Example 3. The amount of the copolymer was 430 g and the mean molecular weight thereof was 480,000.

Synthesis Example 6 50 g of hydroxyethyl cellulose was added to a mixed solvent of 750 ml of water and 150 ml of ethanol and was dissolved therein at 60C. in a reaction vessel. After-purging the vessel with nitrogen gas, the temperature of the reaction system was raised to 75C and then,

while adding dropwise a dispersion of 0.3 g of benzoyl perioxide in 50 g of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate through a dropping funnel, the reaction system was stirred for 4 hours at 75C. The reaction product was placed in a pouch of a dialysis membrane, and after conducting dialysis for hours in running water the product was dried by means of a freeze dryer. The amount of the polymer was 88 g.

The polymers for the neutralization rate-controlling layer used in this invention can be dissolved in various kinds of solvents and in particular it is preferred to dissolve the polymers in a solvent such as ethanol, me-

thanol-water, ethanol-water, acetone, acetone-water, methyl ethyl ketone and methyl ethyl ketone-water.

' Furthermore, not only can the above one component a laminate with a layer of another polymer.

Examples of the polymer to be mixed with the afore said polymer for the neutralization rate-controlling layer of this invention or to be used as a layer combined ides such as polyethyleneoxide, polypropylene oxide and polybutylene oxide, carboxymethyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, p0ly-4-vinyl pyridine and polyvinyl acetate. The polymer to be mixed with the neutralization rate-controlling polymers of this invention preferably has good miscibility. Accordingly, it is preferred to use a polymer which has a polarity similar to the neutralization rate-controlling polymer.

When a mixture of the polymer of the monomethacrylic acid ester or the monoacrylic ester of the polyhydric alcohol and the other polymer as mentioned above is used the mixing ratio may be selected as desired but the proportion of the other polymer is preferably about 50 percent or less.

It is also desirable that the dry thickness of the neutralizationrate-controlling layer composed of the polymer or polymers of the dye image receiving unit used in this invention be 3-20 microns, but the thickness may be varied properly according to the end use contemplated.

As an image-receiving material, it is necessary to use a material which has a layer which is hydrophilic and which is capable of mordanting a diffusible dye. So, it is preferred to use a hydrophilic, basic and film-forming polymer or a hydrophilic and film-forming polymer containing a basic polymer. As specific examples of the image-receiving layer in this invention, a mixture of polyvinyl alcohol and poly-4-vinyl pyridine as described in US Pat. No. 3,148,061 is preferably used, but other materials such as a partially acetalated product of polyvinyl alcohol (degree of acetylation is no more than 20'percent) and trialkylammonium benzaldehyde quaternary salt, a copolymer of vinyl alcohol and N-vinylpyrrolidone (any copolymerization ratio can be used), a condensed acetalation product (from about 4 l to about 2 1 molar condensate) of polyvinyl alcohol and poly-N-vinylpyrrolidone, and a condensed acetalation product (from about 4 1 to about 2 1 molar condensate) of polyvinyl alcohol and 4- pyridine carboxy aldehyde can also be used for the image-receiving layer. This testing is merely exemplary of materials which meet the above general criteria.

The image-receiving material of this invention may further have, if desired, an intermediate layer for improving the adhesion between the support and the polymer layer and between the polymer layers themselves. Examples of materials used for the intermediate material are polyvinyl alcohol, gelatin, carboxymethyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, polyvinyl acetal, etc. The thickness of the intermediate layer is suitably from about lg. to about 10p..

By using the image-receiving material for a color diffusion transfer process of this invention a sharp color image having less stains can be obtained.

As compared with the image-receiving material having a neutralization rate-controlling layer composed of polyvinyl alcohol or a partially acetalated polyvinyl alcohol as described in US. Pat. No. 3,362,819, the image-receiving material of this invention has various advantages, e.g., the density of the images formed is higher and thus images of a wide range of gradation can be reproduced.

The polymer for the neutralization rate-controlling layer of this invention can be used for the neutralization rate-controlling layer of image-receiving materials for various types of color diffusion transfer processes. For example, the polymer may be used for the neutralization rate-controlling layers in a system using dye developers as described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,983,606 and also in a system using coupler developers as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,227,551.

The invention will, now be further illustrated in detail by several examples.

Example 1 The color image-receiving material, the alkali processing agent and the negative light-sensitive film were prepared in the manner described below. After imagewise exposure of the negative light-sensitive film, the negative film was combined with the color imagereceiving material, and the alkali processing agent (20C) inserted therebetween so that the thickness of the layer of the alkali processing agent was about 200 microns, whereby the diffusion transfer processing was conducted. The period required for the diffusion transfer process was 2 minutes.

By the processing, a color image having less stains and having a high color density was obtained on the image-receiving layer.

A. Preparation of the image-receiving material:

A white baryta-coated layer having a polyethylene coating thereon was coated with layers (a), (b), and (c) in that order.

a. Acid polymer layer:

,A 20 percent ethyl acetate solution of the monobutyl ester (mean molecular weight 100,000) of the l l copolymer of maleic anhydride and vinyl methyl ether having the following unit formula was applied to the support in a dry thickness of 20 microns.

b. Neutralization rate-controlling layer:

20 g of the homopolymer of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate shown in Synthesis Example 1 was dissolved in a mixed solvent of 60 ml of acetone and 20 ml of water and the solution was applied to the acid polymer layer in a dry thickness of 8 microns.

c. Image-receiving layer:

6 g of polyvinyl alcohol (saponification degree 98 percent, polymerization degree 1800) and 3 g. of poly- 4-vinylpyridine (M.W.: 70,00080,000) were dissolved in 150 ml of water containing 2 g of glacial acetic acid and the solution was applied to the neutralization ratecontrolling layer in a dry thickness of 7 microns.

B. Preparation of alkali processing agent:

The alkali processing agent was prepared by blending the following components:

Natrosol 250 HR (Trade name, made by Hercules Incorporated) c. Preparation of negative film:

A .cellulose triacetate film having a gelatin undercoat was coated with the following three layers as a monchromatic system. i

a. Dye developer layer:

10 g of l-phenyl-3-n-hexylcarboxyamide-4[p-2',5- dihydroxyphenethylphenylazo] 5-pyrazolone wasv dissolved butylacetanilide and 25 ml of cyclohexanone under heating. The solution was dispersed by emulsification in g of a 10 wt. percent aqueous gelatin solution containing 8 ml of a 5 wt. percent aqueous solution of sodium n-dodecylbenzenesulfonate. The emulsion was further mixed with 5 ml of a 2 wt. percent aqueous solution of hydroxy-4,6-dichloro-S-triazine as ahardening agent for gelatin, and then water was added to make the whole amount of the emulsion 300 g. The aqueous emulsion was applied to the support in a dry thickness of 1.5 microns.

b. Silver halide photographic emulsion layer:

A silver iodobromide emulsion (7 mole percent silver iodide) containing 3.5 X 10 mole of silver and 6.5 g of gelatin per 100 g of emulsion was applied to the dye developer layer in a dry thickness of 1.5 microns.

c. Gelatin protective layer:

5 g of 4'-methylphenyl hydroquinone was dissolved in a mixed solvent of 10 ml of tri-o-cresyl phosphate and 10 ml of ethyl acetate and the solution was dispersed by emulsification in 10 g of a 10 wt. percent aqueous gelatin solution containing 2 ml of a 5 wt. percent aqueous solution of sodium n-dodecylbenzenesulfonate. Then, 100 ml of an aqueous solution containing 10 g of the emulsion thus prepared and 5 ml of a 2 wt. percent mucochloric acid solution as a hardening agent for gelatin was applied to the silver halide emulsion layer in a dry thickness of 1 micron.

On the other hand, an image-receiving material was prepared as a comparison sample in the same way as above except that a 10 wt. percent aqueous solution of polyvinyl alcohol (polymerization degree 1,800, saponification degree 98 percent) was applied in a dry thickness of 8 microns in place of the homopolymer of 2- hydroxyethyl methacrylate as the neutralization ratecontrolling layer of the image-receiving material. When the diffusion transfer process as above was conducted using the image-receiving material thus prepared, an image having less stains was obtained but the color density of the image was only 60 percent of the color density of the image obtained on the image-receiving material of this invention as described above.

Example 2 An imagereceiving material was prepared in the same way as in Example 1 except that the copolymer prepared by copolymerizing 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate and acrylamide in a mole ratio of 4 l by the procedure of Synthesis Example 2 was-used as the neutralization rate-controlling layer. When the diffusion transfer was conducted using the image-receiving material as in Example 1, almost the same results as in Example 1 were obtained.

Example 3 An image-receiving material was prepared in the same way as in Example 1 except that the homopolyin a mixed solvent of 10 ml of N-nv mer of 3-hydroxypropyl methacrylate prepared in Synthesis Example 3 was used as the neutralization ratecontrolling layer. In this case also, almost the same results as in Example 1 were obtained when the same diffusion transfer as in Example 1 was conducted.

Example 4 An image-receiving material was prepared in the same way as in Example 1 except that the copolymer of 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate prepared in Synthesis Example 4 was used for the neutralization rate-controlling layer. When the same diffusion transfer as in Example 1 was conducted using this image-receiving material, almost the same results as in Example 1 were obtained.

Example 5 Example 6 An image-receiving material was prepared in the same way as in Example 1 except that the graft polymer prepared by polymerizing 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate in a solution of hydroxyethyl cellulose as in Syntehis Example 6 was used for the neutralization ratecontrolling layer and the solution of the polymer just after the polymerization reaction was finished was applied as it was to the acid polymer layer in a thickness of 8 microns. When the same diffusion transfer process as Example 1 was conducted using this image-receiving material, almost the same results as in Example 1 were obtained.

While the invention has been described in detail and with reference to specific embodiments thereof, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein with out departing from the spirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. An image-receiving material for a color diffusion transfer process which comprises a support having thereon, in sequence, an acid polymer layer, a neutralization rate-controlling layer, and an image receiving layer, said neutralization rate-controlling layer comprising at least one polymer selected from the homopolymer, the copolymer and the graft polymer of the monomethacrylic acid ester of a polyhydric alcohol or the monoacrylic acid ester of a polyhydric alcohol.

2. The image-receiving material for a color diffusion transfer process as set forth in claim 1 in which said polymer is the homopolymer of the monomethacrylic acid ester of a polyhydric alcohol.

3. The image-receiving material for a color diffusion transfer process as set forth in claim 1 wherein said polymer is the copolymer of the monomethacrylic acid ester of a polyhydric alcohol and another vinylic monomer copolymerizable therewith.

4. The image-receiving material for a color diffusion transfer process as set forth in claim 1 wherein said polymer is the graft polymer of the monomethacrylic acid ester of a polyhydric alcohol.

5. The image-receiving material for a color diffusion transfer process as set forth in claim 1 wherein said polymer is the homopolymer of the monoacrylic acid ester of a polyhydric alcohol.

6. The image-receiving material for a color diffusion transfer process as set forth in claim 1 wherein said polymer is the copolymer of the monoacrylic acid ester of a polyhydric alcohol and another vinylic monomer copolymerizable therewith.

7. The image-receiving material for a color diffusion transfer process as set forth in claim 1 wherein said polymer is the graft polymer of the monoacrylic ester of a polyhydric alcohol.

8. An image-receiving material for a color diffusion transfer process as claimed in claim 1 where said acid polymer has at least one carboxyl group, sulfo group or a group hydrolyzable to a carboxyl group.

9. An image-receiving material for a color diffusion transfer process as claimed in claim 9 where the acid polymer layer is 5-3O microns thick.

10. An image-receiving material for a color diffusion transfer process as claimed in claim 1 where said neutralization rate-controlling layer comprises the copolymer, and the acid ester comprises at least 50 mole percent of the copolymer.

11. An image-receiving material for a color diffusion transfer process as claimed in claim 1 where the molecular weight of the polymer is 10,000 to 600,000.

12. An image-receiving material for a color diffusion transfer process as claimed in claim 1 where the thickness of the neutralization rate-controlling layer is 320 microns.

13. An image-receiving material for a color diffusion transfer process as claimed in claim 1 where the polyhydric alcohol has 2 to 5 aliphatic hydroxy groups of 2-12 atoms.

14. An image-receiving material for color diffusion transfer process which comprises a support having thereon, in sequence, an acid polymer layer, a neutralization rate-controlling layer and an image receiving layer, said image-receiving layer comprising a polymer containing poly-4-vinylpyridine and said neutralization rate-controlling layer comprising at least one polymer selected from the homopolymer, the copolymer and the graft polymer of the monomethacrylic acid ester of a polyhydric alcohol or the monoacrylic acid ester of a polyhydric alcohol.

Claims

1. AN IMAGE-RECEIVING MATERIAL FOR A COLOR DIFFUSION TRANSFER PROCESS WHICH COMPRISES A SUPPORT HAVING THEREIN, IN SEQUENCE, AN ACID POLYMER LAYER, A NEUTRALIZATION RATECONTROLLING LAYER, AND AN IMAGE RECEIVING LAYER, SAID NEUTRALIZATION RATE-CONTROLLING LAYER COMPRISING AT LEAST ONE POLYMER SELECTED FROM THE HOMOPOLYMER, THE COPOLYMER AND THE GRAFT POLYMER OF THE MONOMETHYACRYLIC ACID STER OF A POLYHYDROXALCOHOL OR THE MONOACRYLIC ACID ESTER OF A POLYHYDRIC ALCOHOL

9. An image-receiving material for a color diffusion transfer process as claimed in claim 9 where the acid polymer layer is 5-30 microns thick.

12. An image-receiving material for a color diffusion transfer process as claimed in claim 1 where the thickness of the neutralization rate-controlling layer is 3-20 microns.