Eastman-kodak Company

Kodak Polychrome Graphics, Gmbh

Eric E Clark

Ting Tao

James Laurence Mulligan

Kevin Barry Ray

Shashikant Saraiya

Frederic E Mikell

Jayanti Patel

Gary R Miller

John Kalamen

Melanie Ann Roth

Jianbing Huang

David B Bailey

Anthony Paul Kitson

Scott A Beckley

Kevin Wieland

Larisa Novoselova

Joseph Hunter

Saraiya Shashikant

Negative-working imageable elements can be imaged and processed to provide lithographic printing plates, especially with sulfuric acid-anodized aluminum substrates. These elements have an imageable outermost layer that contains two different polymeric binders, a primary polymeric binder is optionally present a discrete particles, and a secondary polymeric binder comprising a poly(vinyl acetate) that has a degree of hydrolysis of less than 60 mol %. These imageable elements can be designed for either off-press or on-press development.

Negative-working imageable element and method of use

Negative-working imageable elements have an imageable layer comprising a free radically polymerizable component, an initiator composition capable of generating radicals sufficient to initiate polymerization of the free radically polymerizable component upon exposure to imaging radiation, a radiation absorbing compound, one or more polymeric binders, and at least 5 weight % of core-shell particles comprising a hydrophobic polymeric core and a hydrophilic polymeric shell that is covalently bound to the polymeric core. The hydrophilic polymeric shell has one or more zwitterionic functional groups. These elements can be imaged such as by IR lasers to provide lithographic printing plates.

Negative-working imageable elements

Single- and multi-layer positive-working imageable elements include a first polymeric binder that is soluble in an alkaline developer upon exposure to imaging radiation and a radiation absorbing compound. The first polymeric binder comprises a backbone to which are attached pendant groups represented by the following Structure (I): wherein Rand Rare independently hydrogen or alkyl groups having 1 to 8 carbon atoms or aryl groups having 6 or 10 carbon atoms in the carbocyclic ring, L is a direct bond or a linking group having at least 1 carbon atom and optionally one or more nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur atoms in the linking chain, and X is oxy, thio, or &#x2014;NR&#x2014; wherein R is hydrogen or an alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms or an aryl group having 6 or 10 carbon atoms in the carbocyclic ring.

Positive-working imageable elements with chemical resistance

A substrate useful for forming lithographic printing plate precursors includes a metal or polymer support and an interlayer comprising a trialkoxysilyl polyethylene glycol acrylate having the following Structure (I): wherein Rand Rare independently hydrogen or Cto Calkyl, Cto Calkenyl, Cto Calkoxy, Cto Cacyl, Cto Cacyloxy, phenyl, halo, or cyano groups, or Rand Rtogether can form a cyclic group, Ris hydrogen, or a Cto Calkyl, phenyl, halo, or cyano group, Rand Rare independently hydrogen or methyl groups, Ris hydrogen or a Cto Calkyl group, Xis &#x2014;O&#x2014; or &#x2014;NR&#x2014; wherein R is hydrogen or an alkyl or aryl group, Xis &#x2014;NR'&#x2014; wherein R&#x2032; is hydrogen or an alkyl or aryl group, m is an integer of from 15 to 200, and n is an integer of from 1 to 12. The lithographic printing plates can be negative-working and particularly useful for on-press development and have a sulfuric acid-anodized aluminum support.

Substrate and imageable element with hydrophilic interlayer

A method for providing a lithographic printing plate includes developing an exposed imageable element with an alkali silicate-containing developer composition having a pH of at least 12.0. The developer composition is regenerated by adding to it an alkali silicate-containing regenerator composition having a pH of at least 12.0. Conductivity of both the developer and regenerator compositions is suppressed from the presence of one or more conductivity reducing agents (such as glycerin). This conductivity suppression in the developer composition is greater than the suppression of the conductivity of the regenerator composition.

Use of highly alkaline developer regenerator composition

An imaged and developed element, such as a lithographic printing plate, is provided by infrared radiation imaging of a negative-working imagable element having an outermost imagable layer that includes a free radically polymerizable component, a free radical initiator composition comprising a diaryliodonium borate, and an infrared radiation absorbing compound. The imagable layer also includes a polymeric binder that is represented by the following Structure (I):-(A)-(A')-&#x2003;&#x2003;(I)wherein A represents recurring units comprising a pendant reactive vinyl group, A&#x2032; represents recurring units other than those represented by A, w is from about 1 to about 70 mol %, and w&#x2032; is from about 30 to about 99 mol %. The imagewise exposed element is developed with a gum to remove only the non-exposed regions. The gum has a pH greater than 7 and up to about 11 and at least 1 weight % of an anionic surfactant.

Methods for imaging and processing negative-working imageable elements

A radiation-sensitive composition includes a radically polymerizable component, initiator composition, a radiation absorbing compound, and a polymeric binder having recurring units that are derived from various ethylenically unsaturated polymerizable monomers provided that at least 40 mol % of the recurring units have a tertiary carbon atom in the backbone and the rest of the recurring units have a secondary or quaternary carbon atom in the backbone. This composition can be used to provide negative-working imageable elements that can be imaged and developed to provide lithographic printing plates that have desired imaging speed and excellent run length without the need for a post-exposure backing step.

Negative-working imageable elements and methods of use

Positive-working imageable elements have a substrate and an imageable layer that can be used to prepare lithographic printing plates. The imageable elements also include a radiation absorbing compound, and a mixture of first and second polymers in the same imageable layer. The first polymer has two or more centered H-bonds (hydrogen bonds) within a non-covalently bonded unit, and the second polymer is a polyvinyl acetal. This mixture of polymers in the same imageable layer provides improved solvent resistance and processing latitude without a loss in imaging speed.

Positive-working imageable elements

A negative-working imagable composition and element includes an initiator composition, an infrared radiation absorbing compound, a polymeric binder, and a stabilizing composition. The imaged element can be developed on-press and exhibits improved shelf-life under high humidity conditions. The stabilizing composition comprising at least one compound represented by Structure (ST-I) and at least one compound represented by Structure (ST-II): wherein m is 1 or 2, n is 1 to 50, R is hydrogen when m is 1, Rthrough Rare independently hydrogen or methyl, and L is an aliphatic, carbocyclic, heterocyclic, heteroatom divalent linking group, or a combination thereof.

Both single-layer and multilayer imageable elements have a substrate and at least one imageable layer. The elements can be used to prepare either negative- or positive-working imaged elements, for example as lithographic printing plates. The imageable elements also include a radiation absorbing compound and a solvent-resistant polymer comprising pendant phosphoric acid groups, pendant adamantyl groups, or both. When this polymer comprises pendant adamantyl groups, they are connected to the polymer backbone through a urea or urethane group. The imageable elements have improved chemical resistance and thermal bakeability from the presence of the unique solvent-resistant polymer.

Imageable members with improved chemical resistance

Single-layer and multilayer imageable elements have a substrate and at least one imageable layer and can be used to prepare positive-working lithographic printing plates. The imageable elements also include a radiation absorbing compound and a solvent-resistant polymer binder comprising an &#x2014;N(R)&#x2014;C(&#x2550;X)&#x2014;N(R')&#x2014;S(&#x2550;O)&#x2014; moiety that is attached to the polymer backbone, wherein X is O or S, R and R&#x2032; are independently hydrogen, halo, or an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms. This solvent-resistant polymer binder is located in the imageable layer closest to the substrate and provides improved chemical resistance.

Positive-working imageable elements are prepared by providing a first layer and second layers onto a substrate. Both layers include the same or different radiation absorbing compounds dispersed within different polymeric binders. After both layers are dried, they are heat treated at from about 40 to about 90&#xb0; C. for at least 4 hours under conditions that inhibit the removal of moisture from the dried first and second layers. This method of preparation provides elements with improved imaging speed and good shelf life.

Heat treatment of multilayer imageable elements

Imageable elements, useful as on press developable lithographic printing plate precursors, are disclosed. The elements comprise an imageable layer over a substrate and an one or more adhesion promoting ingredients. The imageable layer comprises a polymerizable compound and a polymeric binder. The adhesion promoting ingredients are titanium chelate and/or co-polymers of a monomer having a polethylene oxide side chain with a monomer having either an acidic group or an anhydride group that has been ring opened to form an acidic group or groups.

Adhesion promoting ingredients for on-press developable lithographic printing plate precursors

Assemblages that comprise a donor element and a receptor are disclosed. The donor element comprises a binder and particles of a cyanoacrylate polymer. The assemblages can be thermally imaged to form lithographic printing plates.

Imageable elements containing cyanoacrylate polymer particles

The present invention provides a processless printing plate precursor including a thermally sensitive layer applied onto a substrate. The thermally sensitive layer includes polycyanoacrylate particles having a major dimension between about 50 and about 500 nm, and a mean major dimension of no greater than about 350 nm. The printing plate precursor may be exposed to radiation and may then be developed 'on press' with a suitable fountain solution.

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Loveland, CO, United States of America

Eric E Clark