Imperial Chemical Industries Limited

Roger N Barker

Alan James Butters

Graham A Page

Stuart C Rennison

John A Pope

Richard A Hann

Stephen Mann

Stephen P Corr

An inkable sheet suitable for use as an ink jet recording sheet comprises a non-porous thermoplastics polymeric film substrate having on a surface thereof a porous, ink-absorbent, resin layer. The porous layer which comprises voids capable of absorbing and retaining an aqueous-organic ink-solvent medium by capillary action, may comprise a hydrophobic resin, a hydrophilic resin or a blend thereof, and may be bonded to a substrate, such as a film of polyethylene terephthalate, by an intermediate adhesive resin layer. The sheet is particularly suitable in the production of an imaged transparency for use in a transmission mode.

Inkable sheet

An inkable sheet, especially suitable for use with aqueous based inks, having an ink-absorbent later substrate which, on depositing an aqueous droplet thereon, exhibits an advancing contact angle not exceeding 100.degree. and has an ink absorption capacity not exceeding 35 grams of water per gram of the ink-absorbent layer. The contact angle of the sheet may be modified by the presence of a supercoat. This sheet has an excellent combination of characteristics even at high ink loadings, for example 300 dpi.

A thermal transfer receiver sheet with improved handling properties comprises a sheet-like dielectric substrate supporting a receiver coat of dye-receptive material on one side, characterized in that there are antistatic treatments provided on both sides of the dielectric substrate, such treatments being sufficient on each side to reduce the surface resistivity to less than 1.times.10.sup.13 .OMEGA./square. The side of the substrate remote from the receiver layer suitably has an antistatic backcoat for reducing the surface resistivity on that side, and the use of a textured surface provided by particulate materials either in the antistatic backcoat or in a further backcoat overlying the antistatic backcoat, may further improve the handling properties.

Thermal transfer receiver

An inkable sheet comprises a substrate and ink-absorbent layer, the surface of which exhibits an internal contact angle of at least 120.degree.. A modifying treatment provides a microporous surface zone of reduced apparent hydrophilicity which accepts a high loading of an aqueous-based ink. Ink patterns of high resolution are thereby achievable.

An assembly for use in the production of a relief printing plate comprises a polymeric substrate, a primer layer and a resin layer thereon, the resin layer being at least 2 microns thick and comprising a low molecular weight copolymer of vinyl chloride and vinyl acetate, optionally with a termonomer, particularly a hydroxyl-containing termonomer. The primer layer may contain a vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer, and the substrate may be a polyester, particularly a polyethylene terephthalate film.

Assembly for use in making a printing plate

An inkable sheet comprises a base sheet, such as a PET film, having on a surface thereof an ink-absorbent resin layer comprising an acrylic or methacrylic polymer containing free carboxylic acid groups and a plasticizer therefor.

A laser-imageable assembly comprising a transparent substrate and an associated energy absorbent transfer layer comprising particles which absorb laser energy dispersed in a resin, the assembly comprising at least one further layer selected from

Laser-imageable assembly and process for production thereof

A laser-imageable assembly comprising a transparent substrate having on a surface thereof an energy absorbent transfer layer comprising particles which absorb laser energy dispersed in a heterogeneous resin layer. Heterogeneity may be achieved by appropriately drying the coated substrate. The assembly may also comprise one or more additional layers of primer, protective and lubricant coatings. A preferred assembly comprises a polyester substrate with a graphite-containing heterogeneous transfer layer.

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Essex, United Kingdom

Roger N Barker