Abstract:
A METHOD OF RECORDING INFORMATION ON A THERMOPLASTIC RECORDING ELEMENT COMPRISES (1) DISPOSING THE THERMOPLASTIC SURFACE OF THE RECORDING ELEMENT IN A SOLUTION OF CHARGED PARTICLES, AND (2) ELECTRODEPOSITING, AS BY ELECTROPLATING OR ELECTROPHORESIS, THE PARTICLES FROM THE SOLUTION ONTO ONLY A SELECTED AREA OF THE SURFACE, REPRESENTATIVE OF THE INFORMATION, IN A QUANTITY CORRESPONDING TO AN AVERAGE THICKNESS OF AT LEAST 2X10**-4 MONOLAYER OF DEPOSITED PARTICLES, BUT SUBSTANTIALLY INVISIBLE TO THE NAKED EYE. THE
RECORDING ELEMENT WITH ELECTRODEPOSITED INFORMATION THEREON MAY BE STORED AS LONG AS DESIRED, AND THE INFORMATION CAN BE MADE VISIBLE, WHEN DESIRED, BY (3) CHARGING THE SURFACE WITH A UNIFORM ELECTROSTATIC CHARGE, AND (4) HEATING THE RECORDING ELEMENT TO A TEMPERATURE AT WHICH THE THERMOPLASTIC MATERIAL DEFORMS AND PROVIDES A VISIBLE CRAZED IMAGE OF THE INFORMATION.