Image reproduction processes

Claim 1

A DRY THERMAL PROCESS FOR TRANSFERRING UNDEREX. POSED PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGES FROM A STRATUM ON A SUPPORT TO A SEPARATE SUPPORT, SAID STRATUM BEING SOLID BELOW 40* C. AND CONTAINING: (1) UNDEREXPOSED IMAGE AREAS WHICH ARE THERMALLY TRANSFERABLE BY HAVING A STICK OR TRANSFER TEMPERATURE ABOVE 40*C. AND BELOW 220*C., COMPRISING (A) A THERMOPLASTIC COMPOUND SOLID AT 50*C. AND (B) AN ETHYLENICALLY UNSATURATED COMPOUND CONTAINING AT LEAST ONE TERMINAL ETHYLENIC GROUP, HAVING A BOILING POINT ABOVE 100*C. AT NORMAL ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE, BEING CAPABLE OF FORMING A HIGH POLYMER BY PHOTOINITIATED ADDITION POLYMERIZATION AND HAVING A PLASTICIZING ACTION ON SAID THERMOPLASTIC COMPOUND, SAID CONSTITUENTS (A) AND (B) BEING PRESENT IN AMOUNTS FROM 3 TO 97 AND 97 TO 3 PARTS BY WEIGHT, RESPECTIVELY, AND (2) EXPOSED COMPLEMENTARY ADJOINING IMAGE AREAS SOLID AT 50*C., NON-THERMALLY TRANSFERABLE AT SAID STICK OR TRANSFER TEMPERATURE AT WHICH THE UNDEREXPOSED AREAS ARE THERMALLY TRANSFERABLE, AND COMPRISING AN ADDITION POLYMER OF AN AFORESAID ETHYLENICALLY UNSATURATED COMPOUND AND SAID THERMOPLASTIC COMPOUND; SAID PROCESS COMPRISING: (A) PLACING THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID STRATUM INTO CONTACT WITH THE IMAGE-RECEPTIVE SURFACE OF A SEPARATE ELEMENT, (B) HEATING AT LEAST ONE OF SAID ELEMENTS TO A TEMPERATURE OF AT LEAST 40*C. BUT LESS THAN THE MELTING POINT OF THE COMPLEMENTARY IMAGE AREAS WHILE SAID SURFACES ARE IN CONTACT TO SELECTVIELY SOFTEN THE UNDEREXPOSED IMAGE AREAS OF SAID STRATUM, AND (C) SEPARATING THE TWO ELEMENTS WHEREBY THE THERMALLY TRANSFERABLE, UNDEREXPOSED IMAGER AREAS OF THE STRATUM ARE TRANSFERRED TO THE IMAGE-RECEPTIVE ELEMENT.