Abstract:
A process for making thermally imageable negative working compositions comprising the steps of: (1) providing a patterning composition layer on a substrate, said patterning composition comprising: (a) at least one acid generator which is sensitive to UV radiation; (b) at least one cross-linking resin or compound; (c) at least one binder resin comprising a polymer containing at least one reactive pendent group consisting of hydroxyl, carboxylic acid, sulfonamide, alkoxymethylamide and mixtures thereof; and (d) at least one infrared absorber; (2) subjecting the patterning composition layer to a two-stage radiation exposure; (a) one stage being a flood UV-exposure; and (b) the other stage being a imagewise infrared exposure stage; (3) treating the exposed patterning composition with heat energy; and (4) developing the heat treated, exposed patterning composition with an aqueous alkaline developer to remove the non-imaged areas of the patterning composition and leaving the imaged areas substantially unaffected.
Abstract:
A polyvinyl acetal copolymer compound comprises the units A, B, C and D, wherein A is present in an amount of 0.5 to 30 wt.-% and is of the formula 1 wherein R is hydrogen, C1-C6 alkyl, nullCHnullCHCOOH or 2 B is present in an amount of 5 to 35 wt.-% and is of the formula 3 C is present in an amount of 10 to 55 wt.-% and is of the formula 4 wherein R1 is an alkyl group with up to 4 carbons, which is optionally substituted by an acid group, or a phenyl group to which an acid group is attached, wherein the phenyl group optionally comprises 1 to 2 further substituents selected from halogen atoms, amino, methoxy, ethoxy, methyl and ethyl groups, or is a group ZnullNR2nullCOnullYnullCOOH, wherein Z is an aliphatic, aromatic or araliphatic spacer group, R2 is hydrogen or an aliphatic, aromatic or araliphatic moiety and Y is a saturated or unsaturated chain- or ring-shaped spacer group, and unit C may have one or more occurrences in the copolymer with various moieties R1 independent of one another; and D is present in an amount of 10 to 40 wt.-% and is of the formula 5 wherein X is C1-C6 alkylene, a 5 or 6 membered saturated carbocyclic moiety optionally substituted with one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of C1-C4 alkyl, C1-C4 alkoxy or halogen, a 5 or 6 membered saturated heterocyclic moiety which comprises in the nucleus one or more heteroatoms selected from oxygen, nitrogen and sulfur, or a group of the formula I 6 wherein n is an integer from 0 to 4 and each R3 is independently selected from the group consisting of C1-C4 alkyl, halogen or C1-C4 alkoxy. A radiation-sensitive composition useful in a lithographic printing plate comprises (i) the above-described polyvinyl acetal copolymer; and (ii) a light-to-heat transformer compound.