Stabilization process for color photographic materials

Claim 2

A STABILIZATION PROCESS FOR COLOR PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIAL HAVING SILVER HALIDE EMULSION LAYERS CONTAINING COLOR COUPLERS WHICH REACT WITH AN OXIDATION PRODUCT OF A COLOR DEVELOPER TO FORM COLOR IMAGES WHICH COMPRISES PROCESSING SAID COLOR PHOTOGRAPIC MATERIAL, AFTER DEVELOPING AND BLEACHING, WITH A BATH HAVING A PH OF 2.7 TO 4.5 CONTAINING (1) A WATER-SOLUBLE ZIRCONIUM SALT AND (2) A POLYCARBOXYLIC ACID OR SALT THEREOF, SAID STABILIZATION PROCESS BEING THE FINAL IN A COLOR DEVELOPEMEMT PROCESS EXCEPT FOR RINSING.

Claim 3

A stabilization process for a color photographic paper having silver halide emulsion layers containing color couplers which react with an oxidation product of a color developer to form color images, which process comprises processing said color photographic paper, after developing and bleaching, with a bath having a pH of 2.7 to 4.5 containing a water-soluble zirconium salt and a polycarboxylic acid or a salt thereof, said stabilization process being the final step in color development process except for rinsing.

Claim 4

A stabilization process for a color photographic paper having silver halide emulsion layers containing color couplers which react with an oxidation product of a color developer to form color images, which process comprises processing said color photographic paper, after developing and bleaching, with a bath having a pH of 2.7 to 4.5 containing a water-soluble zirconium salt and a polycarboxylic acid or a salt thereof, said stabilization process being the final step in color development process except for rinsing.

Claim 5

The stabilization process for a color photographic paper as set forth in claim 2, in which said bath contains 1.2 X 10 2 to 1.8 X 10 1 mol/liter of a water-soluble compound having an aldehyde group or 1.0 X 10 2 to 1.7 X 10 1 mol/liter of a water-soluble compound capable of forming formaldehyde, said water-soluble compound having an aldehyde group being selected from the group consisting of a monoaldehyde compound represented by the formula (R - CHO)n wherein R represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, an aryl group, a carboxyl group, or A heterocyclic ring residue, wherein said R may be a substituted group, when R is a hydrogen atom n is an integer, and when R is a substituent other than a hydrogen atom n is 1 and a dialdehyde compound represented by the formula OHC - (R1)m - CHO wherein R1 represents a divalent aliphatic residue, or a divalent aromatic residue, and m is 0 or 1, said water-soluble compound having a group capable of forming formaldehyde being a compound represented by the formula R2 - CH2OH wherein R2 represents an aliphatic residue, an aromatic residue, or a heterocyclic ring residue.

Claim 6

The stabilization process for a color photographic paper as set forth in claim 3, in which the amount of said water-soluble dialdehyde compound is 1.0 X 10 2 to 1.7 X 10 1 mol/l.

Claim 7

The stabilization process for a color photographic paper as set forth in claim 2, in which said polycarboxylic acid is oxalic acid, malonic acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, succinic acid, citric acid, glutaric acid, adipic acid, lactic acid, crotonic acid, aconitic acid, itaconic acid, diglycolic acid, citraconic acid, an alkali metal salt of said acid, or an ammonium salt of said acid.

Claim 8

The stabilization process for a color photographic paper as set forth in claim 5, in which the amount of the polycarboxylic acid is 1 to 15 g/l.

Claim 9

The stabilization process for a color photographic paper as set forth in claim 2, in which said water-soluble zirconium salt is zirconium sulfate, zirconium nitrate, zirconium chloride, zirconium oxysulfate, zirconium oxynitrate, or zirconium oxychloride.

Claim 10

The stabilization process for a color photographic paper as set forth in claim 7, in which the amount of said water-soluble zirconium salt is 1 to 20 g/l.

Claim 11

The stabilization process for a color photographic paper as set forth in claim 2, in which said stabilization bath contains benzoic acid or an alkali metal salt.

Claim 12

A stabilization bath for a color photographic paper containing a water-soluble zirconium salt, a polycarboxylic acid, and at least one of a water-soluble compound having an aldehyde group and a water-soluble compound having a group capable of forming formaldehyde.

Claim 13

A stabilization bath for a color photographic paper containing a water-soluble zirconium salt, a polycarboxylic acid, and at least one of a water-soluble compound having an aldehyde group and a water-soluble compound having a group capable of forming formaldehyde.

Claim 14

The stabilization bath of claim 10 wherein the bath has a pH of 2.7 to 4.5, the water-soluble compound having an aldehyde group is present in the amount of 1.2 X 10 2 to 1.8 X 10 1 mol/liter, the water-soluble compound having a group capable of forming formaldehyde is present in an amount of 1.0 X 10 2 to 1.7 X 10 1 mol/liter, said water-soluble compound having an aldehyde group is selected from the group consisting of a monoaldehyde compound represented by the formula (R - CHO)n wherein R represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, an aryl group, a carboxyl group, or a heterocyclic ring residue, wherein said R may be a substituted group, when R is a hydrogen atom n is an integer, and when R is a substituent other than a hydrogen atom n is 1 and a dialdehyde compound represented by the formula OHC - (R1)m - CHO wherein R1 represents a divalent aliphatic residue, or a divalent aromatic residue, and m is 0 or 1, said water-soluble compound having a group capable of forming formaldehyde is represented by the formula R2 - CH2OH wherein R2 represents an aliphatic residue, an aromatic residue, or a heterocyclic ring residue.