A coating composition for producing a heat-sensitive recording material and to a corresponding heat-sensitive recording layer. The coating composition includes one or more color developers, one or more dye precursors, one or more specific fatty acid amides, and one or more (additional) specific sensitizers. A heat-sensitive recording material including a carrier substrate and a heat-sensitive recording layer, to the use of specific fatty acid amides in order to increase the grease resistance of a heat-sensitive recording material or a heat-sensitive recording layer, and to a method for producing a heat-sensitive recording material or a heat-sensitive recording layer.

An object of the present invention is to provide: a developer that can provide a thermosensitive recording material excellent in color development sensitivity and storage stability; and a thermosensitive recording material obtained using the developer. The object is achieved by a developer including a compound represented by the following Formula (1).

##STR00001##

In Formula (1), a, A, and L are as follows: a is an integer selected from 1 to 5, A is each independently a fluoro group or a perfluoroalkyl group, and L is any of functional groups represented by the following Formula (2):

##STR00002##

wherein in Formula (2), R is a C.sub.1-C.sub.4 alkyl group, and * represents a binding site to a sulfur atom in Formula (1).

An object of the present invention is to provide: a developer that can provide a thermosensitive recording material excellent in color development sensitivity and storage stability; and a thermosensitive recording material obtained using the developer. The object is achieved by a developer including a compound represented by the following Formula (1).

##STR00001##

In Formula (1), a, A, and L are as follows: a is an integer selected from 1 to 5, A is each independently a fluoro group or a perfluoroalkyl group, and L is any of functional groups represented by the following Formula (2):

##STR00002##

wherein in Formula (2), R is a C.sub.1-C.sub.4 alkyl group, and * represents a binding site to a sulfur atom in Formula (1).

Described are colour developers of formula (I) Ar.sup.1—SO.sub.2—NH—C.sub.6H.sub.4—SO.sub.2—C.sub.6H.sub.4—NH—CO—NH—Ar.sup.2 (I), a heat-sensitive recording material, comprising a carrier substrate and also a heat-sensitive, colour-forming layer comprising at least one colour former and at least one phenol-free colour developer, the at least one colour developer being the compound of formula (I), and a method for producing this heat-sensitive recording material.

Disclosed is a heat-sensitive recording material comprising an undercoat layer and a heat-sensitive recording layer in this order on a support, the undercoat layer containing hollow particles, a binder, and an inorganic pigment I, the heat-sensitive recording layer containing a leuco dye, a developer, and an inorganic pigment II, and the heat-sensitive recording layer containing an N,N′-diarylurea-based compound represented by the following formula (1):

##STR00001## wherein R.sub.2s may be the same or different, and each represents C.sub.1-12 alkyl, C.sub.7-12 aralkyl, or C.sub.6-12 aryl, and the aralkyl and the aryl may be each substituted with C.sub.1-12 alkyl, C.sub.1-12 alkoxy, C.sub.6-12 aryl, or halogen; A.sub.1s may be the same or different, and each represents hydrogen or C.sub.1-4 alkyl, as the developer, and a pigment with an oil absorption of 130 ml/100 g or less as the inorganic pigment II.

The invention relates to a color developer of the formula (I), wherein m and n independently of one another are ≥1, Ar.sup.1 is an unsubstinited or substituted (hetero) aromatic radical, Ar.sup.2 is an unsubstituted or substituted phenyl radical, and Y is at least one (m+n)-times substituted benzene or naphthalene group, and to a heat-sensitive recording material, comprising a supporting substrate and a heat-sensitive color-forming layer containing at least one color former and at least one phenol-free color developer, wherein the at least one color developer is the compound of the formula (I). The invention further relates to a method for producing said heat-sensitive recording material.

##STR00001##

A reversible recording medium according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a recording layer including a coloring compound having an electron-donating property, a color developing/quenching agent having an electron-accepting property, a photothermal conversion agent, and a macromolecular material; and an ultraviolet absorbing layer provided on the recording layer, the macromolecular material including an organic material that has solubility of 20 wt % or more and 80 wt % or less at 25° C. or less and contains 0.5 wt % or less of chlorine atoms, fluorine atoms, and sulfur atoms in a molecule.

A reversible recording medium according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a recording layer including a coloring compound having an electron-donating property, a color developing/quenching agent having an electron-accepting property, a photothermal conversion agent, and a macromolecular material; and an ultraviolet absorbing layer provided on the recording layer, the macromolecular material including an organic material that has solubility of 20 wt % or more and 80 wt % or less at 25° C. or less and contains 0.5 wt % or less of chlorine atoms, fluorine atoms, and sulfur atoms in a molecule.

A recording material and a recording sheet having excellent color-developing performance and storage stability and particularly having excellent heat-resistance of background. The recording material contains a color former (A), a compound represented by formula (I) (B), and a compound represented by formula (II) (C). ##STR00001##

The invention relates to a heat-sensitive recording material, comprising a carrier substrate and at least one heat-sensitive thermal reaction layer, which is applied to at least one side of the carrier substrate and contains at least one fluoran color former, at least one color developer, at least one melting aid, and optionally typical additives, such as lubricants, stabilizers (anti-aging agents), and/or pigments, characterized in that the color developer is dodecyl gallate and the melting aid is an ethylene bis fatty acid amide of formula (I), wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are CH.sub.3(CH.sub.2).sub.mCH.sub.2 with m=13 and/or 15. The invention further relates to a method for producing said recording material. ##STR00001##