Eastman-kodak Company

Kodak Polychrome Graphics, Gmbh

Ting Tao

Scott A Beckley

Kevin Barry Ray

Shashikant Saraiya

Eric E Clark

Jianbing Huang

Jayanti Patel

Heidi M Munnelly

Thomas R Jordan

Jeffrey James Collins

John Kalamen

Frederic E Mikell

Paul R West

Kevin Wieland

Kouji Hayashi

Gary R Miller

James Laurence Mulligan

Joanne Ray

Nicki R Miller

Eduard Kottmair

Melanie Ann Roth

Joseph Hunter

Saraiya Shashikant

Chris McCullough

Lee Korionoff

Fredéric Eugene Mikell

Eric Emery Clark

Frederic Eugene Mikell

Eric Clark

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 radiation-sensitive composition and negative-working imagable element includes a polymeric binder that has a hydrophobic backbone and pendant salt groups that comprise a cation covalently attached to the hydrophobic backbone and a boron-containing anion forming a salt with the cation. The use of these particular polymers provides fast digital speed (high imaging sensitivity) and good printability (good shelf-life) even when the preheat step normally used between exposure and development, is omitted.

Negative-working radiation-sensitive compositions and imageable materials

Positive-working imageable elements comprise a radiation absorbing compound and inner and outer layers on a substrate having a hydrophilic surface. The inner layer comprises a specific polymeric binder represented by Structure (I):-(A)-(B)-(C)-(D)&#x2003;&#x2003;(I)

Multi-layer imageable element with improved properties

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

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.

A radiation-sensitive composition includes a radically polymerizable component and an iodonium borate initiator composition capable of generating radicals sufficient to initiate polymerization of the free radically polymerizable component upon exposure to imaging radiation. The iodonium borate composition includes a particular diaryliodonium borate compound having organic substituents to provide a sum of at least 6 carbon atoms on the iodonium cation phenyl rings. This composition can be applied to a suitable substrate to provide a negative-working imageable element with improved digital speed and good shelf life and that can be imaged to provide lithographic printing plates. The imaged elements can be developed either on-press or off-press using alkaline developers.

Sulfated polymers, imageable elements containing these polymers, and methods for preparing images useful as lithographic printing plates from these imageable elements are disclosed. The sulfate groups are attached either to aryl groups that are pendent to the polymer backbone, and/or to alkyl groups that are either pendant to the polymer backbone and/or part of the polymer backbone. The elements can be thermally imaged and developed in water or in fountain solution so that an alkaline developer is not required. They can be imaged and developed on press using fountain solution so that it is unnecessary to mount them in a separate exposure device.

Imageable element comprising sulfated polymers

Positive-working imageable elements comprise a radiation absorbing compound and inner and outer layers on a substrate having a hydrophilic surface. The inner layer comprises a polymeric material that is removable using an alkaline developer and comprises a backbone and attached groups represented by the following Structure Q: wherein L, L, and Lindependently represent linking groups, T, T, and Tindependently represent terminal groups, and a, b, and c are independently 0 or 1. The imageable elements have improved resistance to development and printing chemicals and solvents.

Multilayer imageable element with improved chemical resistance

A radiation-sensitive composition and negative-working imageable element includes a polymeric binder comprising pendant allyl ester groups to provide solvent resistance, excellent digital speed (sensitivity) and can be imaged and developed without a preheat step to provide lithographic printing plates. The polymeric binder can be prepared with a precursor polymer having pendant carboxy groups that are converted to allyl ester groups using an allyl-containing halide in the presence of a base in order to avoid gelation.

Negative-working imageable elements can be imaged and then developed using a lower pH organic-based single-phase developer that is less toxic and corrosive and that can be more readily disposed of after use. This developer has a pH less than 12 and comprises a) an amphoteric surfactant comprising a nitrogen-containing heterocycle, b) an amphoteric surfactant having two or more nitrogen atoms, or c) an amphoteric surfactant of a) and an amphoteric surfactant of b).

Method of imaging and developing negative-working elements

Positive-working imageable elements comprise a radiation absorbing compound and inner and outer layers on a substrate having a hydrophilic surface. The inner layer comprises a combination of two different polymeric binders one of which has an acid number of at least 30, which combination of polymers provides improved post-development bakeability (more quickly baked or cured at lower temperatures) and desired digital speed with no loss in chemical resistance.

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Fort Collins, CO, United States of America

Ting Tao