Eastman-kodak Company

Kodak Polychrome Graphics, Gmbh

Frederic E Mikell

Shashikant Saraiya

Anthony Paul Kitson

Jayanti Patel

Eric E Clark

Kevin Barry Ray

Ting Tao

Larisa Novoselova

Jianbing Huang

Celin M Savariar-Hauck

Ken-ichi Shimazu

James Laurence Mulligan

Paul R West

Hans-Joachim Timpe

S Peter Pappas

My T Nguyen

Scott A Beckley

Heidi M Munnelly

Eiji Hayakawa

John Kalamen

Kevin Wieland

Robert W Hallman

Nicki R Miller

Ajay Shah

Nishith Merchant

Shahhikant Saraiya

Hirokazu Fujii

An infrared radiation-sensitive positive-working imageable element has a substrate and single imageable layer that includes a first polymeric binder having urethane or urea moieties in its backbone. The first polymeric binder is also insoluble in water and soluble in a weakly alkaline solution. This imageable element can be imaged and processed using weakly alkaline processing solutions that are free of silicates and metasilicates, which processing solutions may also be used to 'gum' the imaged and developed printing surface.

Positive-working imageable elements and method of use

Lithographic printing plate precursors have been designed so that they can be stored, shipped, and used in stacks without interleaf paper between individual precursors. This is achieved by incorporating polymeric particles having an average diameter of from about 3 to about 20 &#x3bc;m into the outermost precursor layer such as an imagable layer or topcoat. The polymeric particles comprise a core of a crosslinked polymer and have grafted hydrophilic polymeric surface groups that are grafted onto the particle surfaces by polymerizing hydrophilic monomers in the presence of the crosslinked polymeric particles. The lithographic printing plates can be either negative- or positive-working elements.

Lithographic printing plate precursors and stacks

A negative-working lithographic printing plate precursor can be imaged with infrared radiation and processed in a single step using a single processing solution having a pH of from about 3 to 11. The precursor has a primary polymeric binder that comprises recurring units derived from one or more N-alkoxymethyl(meth)acrylamides, provided that such recurring units are present in the primary polymeric binder in an amount of at least 10% based on the total dry primary polymeric binder weight. In addition, the primary polymeric binder is present in an amount of from about 12 to about 70% based on total imageable layer dry weight. The imaged precursor can be processed off-press or on-press.

Method of preparing lithographic printing plates

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 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

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

A positive-working imageable element comprises inner and outer layers and a radiation absorbing compound such as an IR absorbing dye. The inner layer includes a first polymeric material. The ink receptive outer layer includes a second polymeric binder comprising a polymer backbone and an &#x2014;X&#x2014;C(&#x2550;T)&#x2014;NR&#x2014;S(&#x2550;O)&#x2014; moiety that is attached to the polymer backbone, wherein &#x2014;X&#x2014; is an oxy or &#x2014;NR'&#x2014; group, T is O or S, R and R&#x2032; are independently hydrogen, halo, or an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms. After thermal imaging, the element can be developed using an alkaline developer. Use of the particular second polymeric binder reduces sludging in the developer. Its dissolution rate in the developer is slow enough to resist developer attack in the non-imaged areas of the outer layer but rapid enough for the second polymeric binder to be quickly loosened from imaged areas and kept suspended or dissolved for a considerable time.

Multilayer imageable element containing sulfonamido resin

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.

A radiation-sensitive composition includes a radically polymerizable component that comprises carboxy groups, an initiator composition to generate radicals, and a polymeric binder comprising poly(alkylene oxide) segments and optionally pendant cyano groups. This composition can be used to prepare imageable elements such as negative-working, on-press developable printing plate precursors.

Radiation-sensitive compositions and imageable materials

A thermal lithographic printing plate, which can be imaged by thermal energy typically by imagewise exposure with an infrared emitting laser, a thermal printing head, etc., is made up of a hydrophilic substrate, and a composite layer structure composed of two layer coatings. Preferably, the first layer of the composite is composed of an aqueous developable polymer mixture containing a solubility inhibiting material and a photothermal conversion material which is contiguous to the hydrophilic substrate. The second layer of the composite is insoluble in the aqueous solution, is ink receptive, and is composed of one or more non-aqueous soluble polymers which are soluble or dispersible in a solvent which does not dissolve the first layer. The plate is exposed with an infrared laser or a thermal print head, and upon aqueous development of the imaged plate, the exposed portions are removed exposing hydrophilic substrate surfaces receptive to conventional aqueous fountain solutions. The unexposed portions contain the ink-receptive image areas. The second layer may also contain a photothermal conversion material. Alternatively, the composite layer may be free of photothermal conversion material when thermal imaging is carried out using a thermal printing head.

Thermal digital lithographic printing plate

Radiation-sensitive compositions, printing plates containing such compositions, imageable by infrared and ultraviolet/visible radiation and imaging method using same. The compositions comprise a thermal-activated acid generator; a crosslinking resin; a binder resin comprising a polymer containing reactive pendant groups selected from hydroxy, carboxylic acid, sulfonamide, and alkoxymethylamides; an infrared absorber; and optionally a UV/visible radiation-activated acid generator for UV/visible sensitization.

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Greeley, CO, United States of America

Frederic E Mikell