a_k wrote:Martin, what do you mean with the 'assumption of a "polymerization of gelatin"', is it the terminology you don't like?
I've no problem with the term "polymerizing" gelatin. I simply think it's already "polymerized" when we use it for DCG, AgX etc. With DCG what we're doing by exposing a DCG layer to our lasers mainly is crosslinking gelatin (or at least parts of it).
a_k wrote:I think that the loss of material is mainly due to the limited solubility of the gelatin before it's "melting point" is reached.
What I had in mind was the possibility of the dichromate having both a hardening (crosslinking) and softening ("de-crosslinking") effect.
Having had a quick look into my collection of DCG/SHSG papers, actually there's an interesting paper - Phillips, Rallison, Barnett, Schicker, Coleman, Dichromated gelatin - some heretical comments, SPIE 1914.
"RR", Richard Rallison, seems to have made the following observation:
When D.C.G. layers are processed, then a gradual build-up of deposited gelatin is observed in the processing dishes or vessels.
This observation been confiremd by one of us (RR) over many years of work in the field of D.C.G. processing. One has to ask why does this situation arise - is it relevant to the underlying mechanism in the formation of the D.C.G. image?