Method of recycling image-deposited recording material and apparatus for recycling the same

摘要

A method of recycling an image-deposited recording material having a surface portion which swells in contact with water and bears thereon deposited images containing an image-constituting material, include the steps of: (a) applying a water-containing image removal promoting liquid to the image-deposited surface portion of the recording material, (b) bringing an image release member into contact with the image-deposited surface portion of the recording material to transfer the images to the image release member to remove the images from the image-deposited recording material, and (c) applying heat to the image-deposited recording material at least after the step (a), with substantially retaining the water component of the image removal promoting liquid in the image-deposited surface portion. In addition, there is disclosed an apparatus for recycling the above-mentioned image-deposited recording material comprising an image removal promoting liquid application means, a water evaporation preventing means, a heat-application means for heating the image-deposited recording material in such a manner that the water component of the image removal promoting liquid is retained in the surface portion, and an image release means.