Separation and recovery device, separation and recovery method, developing system, and developer recycling method

Abstract

Provided is a separation and recovery device capable of separating and recovering, from a development waste liquid containing a development residue, a recovered liquid having a high solvent concentration with high treatment capability without mixing of the development residue. A separation and recovery device 7 separates and recovers a solvent component from a development waste liquid containing a development residue, and comprises: a waste liquid heating mechanism that heats the development waste liquid; an atomization chamber 71 that has an ultrasonic element 71B for generating mist by atomizing the development waste liquid heated by the waste liquid heating mechanism; and a mist recovery mechanism 72 that recovers the mist generated in the atomization chamber 71.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a separation and recovery device, a separation and recovery method, a development system, and a developer recycling method for separating and recovering a solvent component from a developer waste solution containing development residues. [Background technology]

[0002] Printing plates containing photosensitive resins can be made using computer-assisted plate-making technology (hereinafter referred to as "CTP technology"), which creates a relief by directly drawing information processed on a computer onto the printing plate. Among these, flexographic printing, a type of letterpress printing, has the advantage of being applicable to a variety of substrates because it uses soft materials such as rubber and synthetic resin for the printing plates.

[0003] Printing plates (particularly flexographic printing plates) using CTP technology are obtained through the following steps: laser drawing on an infrared-absorbing layer on a photosensitive resin, exposing the photosensitive resin layer to light and curing it, developing the uncured parts, and drying and post-exposing the resulting plate. Flexographic printing plates can be obtained by solvent development, in which the uncured parts are dissolved and developed using a solvent developer; aqueous development, in which the uncured parts are peeled off and developed using an aqueous developer containing a surfactant; or thermal development, in which the printing master plate is heated and the uncured parts are wiped off with a nonwoven fabric; but solvent development and aqueous development each produce waste solution.

[0004] In solvent development, the post-development solution is recovered and reused by distillation. In aqueous development, a method for reusing water recovered by vacuum distillation has been disclosed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). However, such distillation methods require a large amount of energy for distillation due to the large latent heat of water. For this reason, a method for separating and recovering aqueous developer waste has been disclosed in which a flocculant is added to the developer waste to perform solid-liquid separation, and then the liquid is passed through an activated carbon filter to separate the developer residue from the developer (see, for example, Patent Document 2). However, this method can cause the flocculant to change the pH of the recovered liquid, which can affect the developability when the recovered liquid is reused. Furthermore, since flocculants can only aggregate a portion of the resin components of the developer residue as a solid, when the remaining developer residue is removed using an activated carbon filter, the activity of the activated carbon quickly decreases, necessitating frequent replacement or regeneration of the activated carbon.

[0005] Therefore, in recent years, a method has been disclosed in which the solvent component is separated and recovered by ultrasonically atomizing the waste developer (see, for example, Patent Document 3). This method does not change the pH of the recovered solution, and does not require replacement or regeneration processes because it does not use filters or the like. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2003 / 005129 [Patent Document 2] International Publication No. 2014 / 196358 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013 / 000613 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, even if the method described in Patent Document 3 is applied to aqueous developer waste liquid, sufficient separation and recovery performance is not currently achieved. Specifically, the amount of recovered liquid that can be recovered by ultrasonic atomization per unit time (hereinafter referred to as "processing capacity") is small, so separation and recovery takes a long time. In addition, the concentration of the solvent component of the developer contained in the recovered liquid is low, making it difficult to reuse (here, the solvent component refers to the component other than the developer residue contained in the developer waste liquid, and is a component that constitutes the developer). Furthermore, there is also the problem that the developer residue that should be separated ends up being mixed into the recovered liquid.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of these problems, and aims to provide a separation and recovery device (separation and recovery method) that can separate and recover a recovery liquid having a high solvent concentration from a developer waste liquid containing developer residues with a high processing capacity without mixing in the developer residues. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] To achieve the above object, a first separation and recovery device according to the present invention separates and recovers a solvent component from a developer waste liquid generated when developing a flexographic printing master plate, and includes a waste liquid heating mechanism for heating the developer waste liquid, an atomization chamber having an ultrasonic element for atomizing the developer waste liquid heated by the waste liquid heating mechanism to generate a mist, and a mist recovery mechanism for recovering the mist generated in the atomization chamber. Note that, when an aqueous developer waste liquid generated by developing a flexographic printing master plate using an aqueous developer containing at least a surfactant is used as the developer waste liquid, the waste liquid heating mechanism can heat the aqueous developer waste liquid in a stationary state to a temperature at which the aqueous developer waste liquid separates into two layers.

[0010] By adopting such a configuration, the ultrasonic element is used to atomize the waste developer to generate a mist, and the generated mist is collected by the mist collection mechanism, thereby making it possible to recover the solvent from the waste developer by removing the developer residue. In this device, by heating the waste developer with the waste liquid heating mechanism before atomizing it, it is possible to obtain a recovered solution with a high solvent concentration with high processing capacity.

[0011] The second separation and recovery apparatus according to the present invention is an apparatus for separating and recovering a solvent component from an aqueous developer waste liquid generated by developing a flexographic printing original plate using an aqueous developer containing at least a surfactant, and is equipped with a waste liquid heating mechanism for heating the aqueous developer waste liquid in a stationary state to a temperature at which the aqueous developer waste liquid separates into two layers. Similarly to the first separation and recovery apparatus, the second separation and recovery apparatus according to the present invention can further include an atomization chamber having an ultrasonic element for atomizing the developer waste liquid heated by the waste liquid heating mechanism to generate a mist, and a mist recovery mechanism for recovering the mist generated in the atomization chamber.

[0012] By adopting such a configuration, the aqueous developer waste liquid generated by carrying out development using an aqueous developer containing at least a surfactant can be heated at a specific temperature (a temperature that causes layer separation in the aqueous developer waste liquid in a stationary state), thereby separating the aqueous developer waste liquid in a stationary state into a waste liquid layer (a layer containing development residues) and a developer layer (a layer that is not a waste liquid layer and is mainly composed of water as a solvent).The aqueous developer can then be efficiently recovered by recovering the developer layer (at this time, the developer layer is atomized to generate mist, and the generated mist is recovered by a mist recovery mechanism).

[0013] The (first or second) separation and recovery device according to the present invention may further include the following components as necessary.

[0014] (1) The atomization chamber has a storage space for storing waste developer, an ultrasonic element provided in the storage space, and a mist collection port provided at the vertical upper part of the storage space for supplying the mist generated in the storage space to the mist collection mechanism. The storage space is an approximately cylindrical space surrounded by a bottom wall and a side wall connected to the periphery of the bottom wall, and an inclined wall is connected to the upper end of the side wall, which slopes vertically upward toward the center of the storage space in a plan view, and the mist collection port is formed by the upper end of the inclined wall. (2) A mist sorting mechanism is provided that sorts mist generated in the atomization chamber into mist to be collected by the mist collection mechanism and mist that recondenses and returns to the waste developer based on the size and / or mass of the mist. The mist sorting mechanism has at least one layer of punching board provided between the liquid surface of the waste developer in the atomization chamber and the mist collection port. The diameter of the holes in the punching board is 2 mm or more and 8 mm or less. (3) Equipped with an air heating mechanism that heats the air supplied into the atomization chamber. (4) Equipped with a condensation mechanism that condenses the mist collected by the mist collection mechanism. (5) A storage chamber for storing waste developer supplied from the outside, a pump and piping for supplying waste developer from the storage chamber to the atomization chamber, and piping for sending overflowing waste developer that has been supplied to the atomization chamber and atomized back to the storage chamber (hereinafter, this mechanism will be referred to as the "waste liquid circulation mechanism"). (6) The atomization chamber has a structure in which an upper space for storing waste developer and a lower space in which an ultrasonic element is installed are separated, and a cooling fluid for cooling the ultrasonic element is stored in the lower space.

[0015] This configuration allows for the following advantages: (1) a sloped wall that slopes vertically upward toward the center of the storage space in a plan view is connected to the upper end of the side wall that forms the storage space of the atomization chamber; the mist collection port is formed by the upper end of this sloped wall. This prevents mist from accumulating in the upper corners of the atomization chamber and recondensing, allowing for efficient collection of mist generated within the atomization chamber. (2) The inclusion of a mist sorting mechanism prevents developer residue from being mixed into the collected liquid. Furthermore, the inclined wall and an appropriate mist sorting mechanism allow for rectification of the mist flow within the atomization chamber, significantly improving mist collection efficiency while preventing developer residue from being mixed into the collected liquid. (3) The inclusion of an air heating mechanism allows for efficient collection of mist generated within the atomization chamber. (4) The inclusion of a condensation mechanism allows for efficient condensation of the collected mist. (5) The inclusion of a waste liquid circulation mechanism and a batch processing method allow for efficient heating of the waste liquid. Next, (6) by separating the upper space for storing the waste developer from the lower space where the ultrasonic element is installed and designing the lower space to be able to be cooled, it is possible to increase the amount of mist generated while suppressing deterioration of the ultrasonic element. From the above, by adopting such a configuration, it is possible to separate and recover a recovery liquid with a high solvent concentration from the waste developer with high processing capacity without mixing in development residue.

[0016] The development system according to the present invention is a system for developing a flexographic printing master plate having a photosensitive resin layer on its surface, and comprises: a transport section for transporting the master plate having exposed and unexposed areas formed in the photosensitive resin layer; a developer supply section for supplying developer to the master plate transported by the transport section and placed in a development area; an unexposed area removal section for removing unexposed areas by rubbing the surface of the master plate placed in the development area; a rinse liquid supply section for cleaning the surface of the master plate by supplying rinse liquid to the master plate transported by the transport section and placed in a rinse area adjacent to the development area; and a (first or second) separation and recovery device according to the present invention, wherein the solvent recovered by the separation and recovery device is reused as part of the developer supplied from the developer supply section and / or as part of the rinse liquid supplied from the rinse liquid supply section.

[0017] By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to reduce the amount of waste developer and the amount of new developer used.

[0018] The first separation and recovery method according to the present invention is a method for separating and recovering a solvent from a developer waste solution generated when developing a flexographic printing original plate, and includes a heating step of heating the developer waste solution to a temperature of 35°C to 90°C, an atomization step of atomizing the developer waste solution heated in the heating step to generate a mist, and a recovery step of recovering the mist generated in the atomization step. In the atomization step, the developer waste solution can be atomized to generate a mist while heating the waste solution following the heating step.

[0019] By adopting this method, the developer waste liquid is atomized using an ultrasonic element to generate a mist, and the generated mist is recovered, thereby making it possible to recover the solvent from the developer waste liquid, with the developer residue removed. In this method, by heating the developer waste liquid using a waste liquid heating mechanism before atomization, it is possible to obtain a recovered liquid having a high solvent concentration with high processing capacity.

[0020] The second separation and recovery method according to the present invention is a method for separating and recovering a solvent from an aqueous developer waste liquid generated by developing a flexographic printing original plate using an aqueous developer containing at least a surfactant, and includes a heating step of heating the aqueous developer waste liquid in a stationary state at a temperature at which the aqueous developer waste liquid separates into two layers, an atomization step of atomizing the developer waste liquid heated in the heating step to generate a mist, and a recovery step of recovering the mist generated in the atomization step. In the atomization step, the developer waste liquid can also be atomized to generate a mist while heating the waste liquid following the heating step.

[0021] When such a method is adopted, an aqueous developer waste solution generated by carrying out development using an aqueous developer containing at least a surfactant is heated at a specific temperature (a temperature at which the aqueous developer waste solution in a stationary state separates into two layers), whereby an aqueous developer waste solution containing very little development residue can be efficiently recovered.

[0022] In the second separation and recovery method according to the present invention, prior to the heating step, a group consisting of the following (A) to (D): (A) Increase the pH of aqueous developer wastewater; (B) adding a compound represented by the following formula (1), a compound represented by the following formula (2), or a combination thereof to an aqueous developer waste solution; Formula (1):R 1 O(A 1 O) n R 2 (In the formula, R 1 and R 2 are each independently an alkyl group having 2 to 6 carbon atoms or an alkenyl group having 2 to 6 carbon atoms, and A 1 is an alkylene group having 2 to 4 carbon atoms, and n is an integer of 1 to 5. Formula (2):R 3 O(A 2 O) m H (wherein, R 3 is an alkyl group having 3 to 8 carbon atoms or an alkenyl group having 3 to 8 carbon atoms, and A 2 is an alkylene group having 2 to 4 carbon atoms, and m is an integer of 1 to 5. (C) Removing a portion of the development residue from the aqueous developer waste; (D) Removal of some surfactants from aqueous developer waste; The method may further include an adjusting step of obtaining an adjusted aqueous developer waste liquid by performing at least one adjustment selected from the following:

[0023] In the second separation and recovery method according to the present invention, the following formula (3) Formula (3): RO(AO) p H (wherein R is an alkyl group or aryl group having 10 to 20 carbon atoms, A is an alkylene group having 2 to 4 carbon atoms, and p is an integer of 1 to 50) A surfactant represented by the formula (I) can be used. Here, R can be an alkyl group or aryl group having 10 to 18 carbon atoms, A can be an alkylene group having 2 to 4 carbon atoms, and p can be an integer from 6 to 10. The surfactant can have a cloud point of 40°C or lower. Furthermore, the aqueous developer waste liquid can contain an inorganic base. Furthermore, as the aqueous developer waste liquid, a waste liquid that undergoes layer separation at 90°C or lower when left standing can be used.

[0024] The third separation and recovery method according to the present invention is a method for separating and recovering a solvent from an aqueous developer waste liquid generated by developing a flexographic printing plate master, and includes a heating step of heating the aqueous developer waste liquid at a temperature predicted to separate the stationary aqueous developer waste liquid into two layers, an atomization step of atomizing the developer waste liquid heated in the heating step to generate a mist, and a recovery step of recovering the mist generated by the atomization step, wherein the aqueous developer waste liquid contains a surfactant having a cloud point of 40°C or lower, a development residue, and water, and the predicted temperature is predicted based on the concentration of the development residue in the aqueous developer waste liquid, the concentration of the surfactant in the aqueous developer waste liquid, and the pH of the aqueous developer waste liquid. Preferably, the aqueous developer waste liquid further contains an inorganic base. In the atomization step, the developer waste liquid can be atomized while being heated following the heating step to generate a mist.

[0025] When such a method is adopted, an aqueous developer waste solution generated by carrying out development using an aqueous developer containing at least a surfactant is heated at a specific temperature (a temperature that is predicted to cause layer separation in the aqueous developer waste solution in a stationary state), thereby making it possible to efficiently recover an aqueous developer containing extremely little development residue.

[0026] The predicted temperature in the third separation and recovery method according to the present invention is calculated using the following formulas (4) and (5):

number

number

[0027] A fourth separation and recovery method according to the present invention is a method for separating and recovering a solvent from an aqueous developer waste liquid generated by developing a flexographic printing original plate, and includes a heating step of heating the aqueous developer waste liquid in a stationary state at a temperature predicted to separate the aqueous developer waste liquid into two layers, an atomization step of atomizing the developer waste liquid heated in the heating step to generate a mist, and a recovery step of recovering the mist generated by the atomization step, wherein the aqueous developer waste liquid contains a surfactant having a cloud point of 40°C or less, development residue, water, and a compound represented by the following formula (1) and / or a compound represented by the following formula (2): Formula (1):R 1 O(A 1 O) n R 2 (In the formula, R 1 and R 2 are each independently an alkyl group having 2 to 6 carbon atoms or an alkenyl group having 2 to 6 carbon atoms, and A 1 is an alkylene group having 2 to 4 carbon atoms, and n is an integer of 1 to 5. Formula (2):R 3 O(A 2 O) m H (wherein, R 3 is an alkyl group having 3 to 8 carbon atoms or an alkenyl group having 3 to 8 carbon atoms, and A 2 is an alkylene group having 2 to 4 carbon atoms, and m is an integer of 1 to 5. The predicted temperature is based on the concentration of development residues in the aqueous developer waste liquid, the concentration of surfactants in the aqueous developer waste liquid, the pH of the aqueous developer waste liquid, and the total concentration of the compounds represented by formula (1) and formula (2) in the aqueous developer waste liquid. The aqueous developer waste liquid preferably further contains an inorganic base. In the atomization step, the developer waste liquid can be atomized while heating the waste liquid following the heating step to generate mist.

[0028] When such a method is adopted, an aqueous developer waste solution generated by carrying out development using an aqueous developer containing at least a surfactant is heated at a specific temperature (a temperature that is predicted to cause layer separation in the aqueous developer waste solution in a stationary state), thereby making it possible to efficiently recover an aqueous developer containing extremely little development residue.

[0029] The predicted temperature in the fourth separation and recovery method according to the present invention is calculated using the following formulas (6) and (7):

number

number

[0030] Another separation and recovery method according to the present invention is a separation and recovery method for separating and recovering a solvent from an aqueous developer waste liquid generated by developing a flexographic printing original plate, the separation and recovery method comprising: a heating temperature determination step for determining a temperature at which to heat the developer waste liquid; a heating step for heating the developer waste liquid at the temperature determined in the heating temperature determination step; an atomization step for atomizing the developer waste liquid heated in the heating step to generate mist; and a recovery step for recovering the mist generated in the atomization step, wherein the developer waste liquid can be separated into two layers having different dispersion concentrations of development residues by heating, and the temperature determined in the heating temperature determination step is calculated from the temperature at which the developer waste liquid separates, and is expressed by the following equations (4) and (5):

number

number

[0031] The (first to fourth) separation and recovery methods according to the present invention can include a mist sorting step of sorting the mist generated in the atomization step into the mist to be recovered and the mist that is re-condensed and returned to the waste developer solution, based on the size and / or mass of the mist. This mist sorting step makes it possible to separate at least a portion of the development residue in the waste developer solution from the waste developer solution, and makes it possible to recover the solvent while reducing the amount of development residue mixed in.

[0032] The (first to fourth) separation and recovery methods according to the present invention can further include a step of returning the overflowing developer waste liquid from the remaining developer waste liquid that has been sent from a storage chamber that stores the developer waste liquid supplied from the outside to the atomization chamber and atomized, to the storage chamber and then to the atomization chamber again. That is, the developer waste liquid containing the developer residue is subjected to mist treatment while circulating between the atomization chamber and the storage chamber, whereby the solvent component is recovered and gradually concentrated (hereinafter, such a method will be referred to as a "batch processing method").

[0033] The atomization chamber used in the atomization step of the (first to fourth) separation and recovery methods according to the present invention can have an upper space for storing the waste developer and a lower space in which the ultrasonic element is installed. In the atomization step, the temperature of the fluid flowing in the lower space can be set to 10°C or higher and 40°C or lower, and the temperature difference between the upper space and the lower space can be set to 5°C or higher and 70°C or lower.

[0034] The developer recycling method of the present invention supplies the solvent recovered by the (first to fourth) separation and recovery methods of the present invention to a developing device that includes: a transport unit that transports a flexographic printing master plate having exposed and unexposed areas formed in a photosensitive resin layer; a developer supply unit that supplies developer to the master plate transported by the transport unit and placed in a development area; an unexposed area removal unit that removes unexposed areas by rubbing the surface of the master plate placed in the development area; and a rinse liquid supply unit that cleans the surface of the master plate by supplying rinse liquid to the master plate transported by the transport unit and placed in a rinse area adjacent to the development area, and reuses the solvent as part of the developer supplied from the developer supply unit and / or as part of the rinse liquid supplied from the rinse liquid supply unit.

[0035] By adopting this method, it becomes possible to reduce the amount of developer waste and the amount of new developer used.

[0036] The method for producing an aqueous developer according to the present invention is a method for producing a new developer and / or rinse solution using the solvent recovered by the (first to fourth) separation and recovery methods according to the present invention.

[0037] The method for producing a printing plate according to the present invention comprises the steps of irradiating a printing blank with infrared light to form a pattern, irradiating the printing blank with ultraviolet light on which the pattern has been formed to expose the pattern, and removing the unexposed area from the exposure step using an aqueous developer produced by the method for producing an aqueous developer according to the present invention. [Effects of the Invention]

[0038] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a separation and recovery device (separation and recovery method) that has a high processing capacity and can separate and recover a recovery liquid having a high solvent concentration from a developer waste liquid without mixing in development residues. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0039] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram illustrating a configuration of a development system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2]1 is a schematic diagram for explaining the overall configuration of a separation and recovery device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of an atomization chamber provided in the separation and recovery device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a three-dimensional structure of an atomization chamber included in the separation and recovery device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a modified example of the configuration of the atomization chamber included in the separation and recovery device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a modified example (upper and lower separated structure) of the configuration of the atomization chamber included in the separation and recovery device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a modified example of the configuration of the atomization chamber (upper and lower separated structure: with separation film) provided in the separation and recovery device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 7A and 7B show a separation plate of an atomization chamber according to a modification of FIG. 6, where (A) is a top view and (B) is a cross-sectional view. [Figure 9] 8A and 8B show a separation plate and a separation film of an atomization chamber according to a modification of FIG. 7, where (A) is a top view and (B) is a cross-sectional view. [Figure 10] 7A and 7B show a presser metal fitting provided in the atomization chamber according to the modified example of FIG. 6, where (A) is a top view and (B) is a cross-sectional view. [Figure 11] 7A and 7B show a packing provided in the atomization chamber according to the modified example of FIG. 6, where (A) is a top view and (B) is a cross-sectional view. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0040] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiments are merely preferred application examples, and the scope of application of the present invention is not limited to these.

[0041] <Definition> First, definitions of terms used in this specification will be explained. In this specification, the term "developer waste liquid" refers to a liquid containing a developer and development residues, which is generated in a development step using a developer. In this specification, the term "aqueous developer waste liquid" means a developer waste liquid containing water as a solvent. In this specification, the term "development residue" refers to impurities that are mixed into the developer when the development step is carried out (for example, resin in the unexposed area that is removed from the developed master). In this specification, the term "layer separation (separation into two layers)" means that an aqueous developer waste solution is separated into two layers: a waste solution layer and a developer solution layer. Layer separation usually occurs when a surfactant separates from water under high temperature conditions. In this specification, the term "layer separation temperature" means a temperature at which layer separation occurs in an aqueous developer waste liquid (or an adjusted waste liquid after an adjustment step) when left standing (this may coincide with the "predicted temperature" described later). In this specification, the "minimum layer separation temperature" means the minimum temperature at which layer separation occurs in the aqueous developer waste liquid (or the adjusted waste liquid after the adjustment step) in a stationary state (it may coincide with the "minimum predicted temperature" described later). In this specification, the term "waste layer" refers to a layer containing development residue. When development residue is contained in all layers resulting from layer separation, the layer with the higher concentration of development residue is the waste layer. The waste layer usually contains surfactant that can no longer form micelles, and is observed as an opaque layer. In this specification, the term "developer layer" refers to a layer that is generated by layer separation and is not a waste layer. The developer layer contains a developer. In this specification, the "cloud point" of a surfactant means the temperature at which an aqueous solution containing 1% by mass of the surfactant begins to become cloudy when observed with the naked eye. In this specification, the term "predicted temperature" means a temperature that is predicted to cause layer separation in the aqueous developer waste liquid (or adjusted waste liquid after an adjustment step) when left standing. In this specification, the term "lowest predicted temperature" means the lowest temperature predicted to cause layer separation in the aqueous developer waste liquid (or adjusted waste liquid after an adjustment step) when left standing.

[0042] First, the configuration of a development system S according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

[0043] The development system S according to this embodiment is a system for developing an original plate P having a photosensitive resin layer on its surface, and includes a developing device 1 and a separation and recovery device 7, which will be described in detail later. Each component of the development system S will be described below.

[0044] <Original version> The master P processed by the development system S according to this embodiment is formed by laminating a photosensitive resin layer and an infrared-sensitive layer on the surface of a support (not shown, for example, a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film), giving it an overall sheet-like shape. The master P is constructed through a process that involves forming a base using ultraviolet light irradiation from the back, laser drawing, and curing the drawn portion using ultraviolet light irradiation from the front. Examples of photosensitive resins that can be used include thermoplastic block copolymers, elastomers selected from at least one of polybutadiene, polyacrylonitrile-butadiene, and polyurethane elastomers, hydrophilic copolymers such as polyamide and latex, polymers selected from polyvinyl alcohol, carboxylic acid esters such as acrylic acid esters, methacrylic acid esters, fumaric acid esters, and maleic acid esters, polymerizable unsaturated monomers selected from acrylamide and methacrylamide derivatives, allyl esters, styrene and its derivatives, and N-substituted maleimide compounds, as well as those containing a photopolymerization initiator and a stabilizer such as an antioxidant. A portion of the surface of the master P is irradiated with ultraviolet light prior to development processing by the developing device 1. In the areas irradiated with ultraviolet light (i.e., exposed areas), a chemical reaction occurs in which the photosensitive resin hardens. On the other hand, in the unexposed areas, the photosensitive resin does not harden. In the development processing by the developing device 1, the unhardened photosensitive resin is removed, and a predetermined pattern of irregularities is formed on the surface of the master P.

[0045] <Developing device> The developing device 1 includes a conveying section 2, a discharging section 3, and a brush section 4, as shown in FIG.

[0046] The transport unit 2 is configured to transport the original P and has an original mounting section 22 on its upper surface. The original P is mounted on the original mounting section 22 with the exposed surface facing upward. A guide plate 24 is fixed to one end of the original P. The guide plate 24 is a flat metal member. The transport unit 2 also has a guide chain (not shown). The guide chain is arranged along the original mounting section 22, and the end of the guide plate 24 is engaged with this guide chain. When a motor (not shown) is driven, the guide chain rotates, moving the guide plate 24 along the original mounting section 22. This transports the original P in the direction indicated by arrow A. Alternatively, instead of fixing the original P with the guide plate 24, the original P can be transported by a chain by placing the underside of the original P on a plate setter that can be fixed with an adhesive sheet or the like.

[0047] The discharge unit 3 is configured to discharge developer and water, and has multiple discharge pipes 31 and 32. Both discharge pipes 31 and 32 are arranged above the original plate placing unit 22 and have a tubular shape. The discharge pipe 31 supplies a developer containing used developer to the original plate P transported by the transport unit 2 in the development area 11, and functions as a developer supply unit in the present invention. The discharge pipe 32 supplies a rinse liquid to the original plate P transported by the transport unit 2 in the rinse area 12 adjacent to the downstream side of the development area, thereby removing the infrared-receiving layer and photosensitive resin layer that were removed in the development process (and that were not cured in the exposure process) and remain on the surface of the original plate P, and functions as a rinse liquid supply unit in the present invention.

[0048] The brush unit 4 includes brushes 41 and 42. The brushes 41 and 42 may be, for example, roll brushes or flat brushes. When the brushes 41 and 42 are roll brushes, they are disposed above the master mounting unit 22 and below the discharge pipes 31 and 32, with their respective axes extending substantially horizontally. Elastic bristle bundles are arranged around the periphery of the brushes 41 and 42. When the brushes 41 and 42 rotate around their respective axes, the tips of the bristle bundles move around the axes and are repeatedly positioned toward the master mounting unit 22. The brush 41 is disposed in the developing area 11 (described later) and removes unexposed portions by rubbing the surface of the master P, thereby functioning as an unexposed portion removal unit in the present invention. The brush 42 is disposed in the rinsing area 12 (described later) and removes the infrared-receiving layer and photosensitive resin layer (not cured in the exposure process) that were washed away in the developing area by rubbing the surface of the master P. Similarly, when a flat brush is used for the developing brush section, the flat brush can be driven by a motor linked to a gear that rotates and / or revolves on the plate, causing the flat brush to rotate and / or revolve on the plate, thereby cleaning and removing the infrared-receiving layer and photosensitive resin layer that have not hardened during the exposure process.

[0049] 1, the developing device 1 can be divided into a developing area 11 and a rinsing area 12. The developing area 11 and the rinsing area 12 are arranged in this order in the direction in which the master P is transported. A discharge pipe 31 and a brush 41 are arranged in the developing area 11, and a discharge pipe 32 and a brush 42 are arranged in the rinsing area 12.

[0050] In the development zone 11, the developer is discharged from the discharge pipe 31 and supplied to the surface of the master P. The developer discharged here contains used developer, i.e., components of the infrared-sensitive layer and photosensitive resin layer that have been removed. If the developer is a solvent, many of the components are dissolved in the developer. If the developer is an aqueous developer, many of the components of the infrared-sensitive layer and photosensitive resin layer do not dissolve in the aqueous developer, but remain in a solidified state or dispersed in the aqueous developer. The developer discharged from the discharge pipe 31 may also contain recovered liquid recovered by the separation and recovery device 7, which will be described later. The brush 41 rotates, and its bristles rub against the surface of the master P. This scrapes off any uncured photosensitive resin from the surface of the master P and discharges it together with the developer. After passing through the development zone 11, the master P then enters the rinse zone 12.

[0051] In the rinsing area 12, a rinsing liquid is discharged from the discharge pipe 32 and supplied to the surface of the master P. The rinsing liquid discharged here may contain unused solvent in the case of solvent development, water in the case of aqueous development, or liquid recovered by the separation and recovery device 7 (described later), or both. In addition, the roll brush 42 rotates, and its bristles rub the surface of the master P. This removes components of the infrared-sensitive layer and photosensitive resin layer that have adhered to the surface of the master P, as well as surfactants and the like contained in the developer when water is used as the rinsing liquid in aqueous development.

[0052] After undergoing development processing in the developing device 1, the original plate P is swollen with the developer and water. The original plate P is then dried in a drying device (not shown). In the drying process, hot air is blown onto the original plate P to promote drying. The dried original plate P is then post-exposed using UVA and UVC light and used as a flexographic printing plate.

[0053] Furthermore, the developing device 1 may further include a waste liquid treatment and supply mechanism 5 and a water treatment and supply mechanism 6, as shown in FIG.

[0054] The waste liquid treatment supply mechanism 5 is configured to supply developer to the development area 11, and includes a drain pan 51 arranged below the discharge pipe 31, a recovered liquid storage tank 52, a filter device 54, and a filtrate storage tank 56.

[0055] The drain pan 51 is disposed below the transport unit 2 and at a location corresponding to the development area 11. The drain pan 51 is configured to collect the waste developer discharged downward from the development area 11.

[0056] The recovered liquid storage tank 52 is a container capable of storing liquid. The developer waste collected by the drain pan 51 flows into and is stored in the recovered liquid storage tank 52. The developer in the recovered liquid storage tank 52 contains components of the infrared-sensitive layer and photosensitive resin layer that have been scraped off and removed from the surface of the master P in the development area 11. The removed components of the infrared-sensitive layer and photosensitive resin layer are dissolved and / or dispersed in the developer waste liquid.

[0057] In the case of aqueous development, a portion of the developer stored in the recovered liquid storage tank 52 is sucked by a pump 53b through a suction pipe 53a and fed to a filter device 54 through a feed pipe 53c. The filter device 54 has a filter (not shown) inside. The developer fed through the feed pipe 53c is supplied into the filter device 54 and passes through the filter. When the developer passes through the filter, friction with the filter removes surfactant from the surface of the resin residue dispersed in the developer. As a result, the resin residue aggregates in the developer that has passed through the filter, forming aggregates, even without the addition of an aggregating agent. In this specification, such aggregates and development residues of resin residue are collectively referred to as "debris."

[0058] The used developer in the filter device 54, which contains debris, is fed to a filtrate storage tank 56 via a feed pipe 55. The filtrate storage tank 56 is a container capable of storing liquid. A filter 56a is disposed inside the filtrate storage tank 56. The developer fed by the feed pipe 55 is supplied into the filtrate storage tank 56 and passes through the filter 56a. When the developer passes through the filter 56a, much of the debris contained in the developer can be removed. The filtrate storage tank 56 stores developer from which the debris that can aggregate has been removed by the filter 56a, resulting in a reduced debris concentration in the developer.

[0059] A portion of the filtered developer stored in the filtrate storage tank 56 is sucked by the pump 57b through the suction pipe 57a and returned to the recovered liquid storage tank 52 through the supply pipe 57c. As the developer from which the debris has been removed is supplied from the filtrate storage tank 56, the concentration of debris in the recovered liquid storage tank 52 decreases. In addition, a portion of the developer in the recovered liquid storage tank 52 is sent to the separation and recovery device 7 through the waste liquid pipe 52a and subjected to mist treatment. The recovered liquid that has been separated and recovered is returned to the recovered liquid storage tank 52 and can be reused as developer. This further reduces the concentration of debris in the developer in the recovered liquid storage tank 52.

[0060] The developer stored in the recovered liquid storage tank 52 is sucked by the pump 58b via the suction pipe 58a and supplied to the discharge pipe 31 of the development zone 11 via the supply pipe 58c. The discharge pipe 31 discharges the developer and supplies it to the master P placed in the development zone 11. Specifically, the developer is discharged from one discharge pipe 31 toward two roll brushes 41 and supplied to the surface of the master P via the bristle bundles of these roll brushes 41. The developer supplied to the development zone 11 falls from the transport section 2 and is collected in the drain pan 51 as described above, and is subjected to a process to remove debris. In other words, the developer supplied to the development zone 11 is repeatedly used to develop the master P.

[0061] The water treatment supply mechanism 6 is configured to supply a rinse liquid to the rinsing area 12. The water treatment supply mechanism 6 includes a drain pan 61 located below the discharge pipe 32 and a water storage tank 62. The water storage tank 62 is a tank that stores water supplied from tap water, for example. Water in the water storage tank 62 is sucked by a pump 63b via a suction pipe 63a and supplied to the discharge pipe 32 of the rinsing area 12 via a supply pipe 63c. The discharge pipe 32 discharges the water and supplies it to the master P arranged in the rinsing area 12. Specifically, water is discharged from one discharge pipe 32 toward two roll brushes 42 and supplied to the surface of the master P via the bristle bundles of the roll brushes 42. The water supplied to the rinsing area 12 falls from the transport unit 2 and is collected by the drain pan 61. The water collected by the drain pan 61 is filtered by a filtration device (not shown) to remove impurities, and is returned to the water storage tank 62 and reused as a rinse liquid. The liquid recovered by the separation and recovery device 7 is also sucked by the pump 78b and returned to the water storage tank 62 via the liquid transfer pipes 78a and 78c, and can be reused as a rinse liquid.

[0062] The separation and recovery device 7 is configured to separate and recover the solvent from the waste developer liquid that contains development residues (debris) stored in the recovered liquid storage tank 52 of the waste liquid treatment and supply mechanism 5.

[0063] Here, the configuration of the separation and recovery device 7 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0064] The separation and recovery device 7 according to this embodiment separates and recovers the solvent component from the developer waste liquid containing developer residues, and is equipped with a waste liquid heating mechanism (not shown) that heats the developer waste liquid, an atomization chamber 71 having an ultrasonic element 71B that atomizes the developer waste liquid heated by the waste liquid heating mechanism to generate mist, and a mist recovery mechanism 72 that recovers the mist generated in the atomization chamber 71.

[0065] Waste developer liquid containing developer residues is supplied to the atomization chamber 71 directly from the outside or via a storage chamber. At that time, the temperature of the waste developer liquid is raised by heating using a waste liquid heating mechanism installed inside or outside the atomization chamber 71, or both. Next, the waste developer liquid supplied to the atomization chamber 71 is atomized into the air by an ultrasonic element 71B provided in the atomization chamber 71, thereby becoming a mist. The mist of the waste developer liquid passes through a mist collection port 71C provided above the atomization chamber 71, using the air inside the atomization chamber 71 as a carrier gas, and is collected by a mist collection mechanism 72. Each component of the separation and collection device 7 will be described in detail below.

[0066] <Developing waste liquid> The developer waste liquid treated by the separation and recovery apparatus 7 according to this embodiment is, for example, an aqueous developer waste liquid generated by development using water containing at least a surfactant, or a solvent developer waste liquid containing saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbons, esters, alcohols, etc., and examples of development residues include those containing at least a polymer, a photopolymerizable unsaturated monomer, and a photosensitive resin containing an initiator. Among these, aqueous developer waste liquid is preferably treated with a recovery device and recovery method using the separation and recovery apparatus 7 according to this embodiment, since the latent heat of water is greater than that of the solvent. The following description focuses mainly on methods using aqueous developer waste liquid. However, the separation and recovery apparatus 7 according to this embodiment can be similarly applied to solvent developer waste liquids other than aqueous developer waste liquid.

[0067] <Waste liquid heating mechanism> The separation and recovery device 7 in this embodiment is equipped with a waste liquid heating mechanism. The heating method is not particularly limited, but examples include a method in which a resistance heater is submerged in the waste liquid, and a method in which hot water or a heat medium is passed through a pipe made of copper, aluminum, or stainless steel, which has high thermal conductivity, and is submerged in the waste liquid. To prevent polymer from scorching onto the heater surface, it is preferable to heat the waste liquid by submerging a pipe through which hot water or a heat medium is passed. Heating the waste liquid reduces its viscosity, significantly improving the atomization efficiency of not only the water in the waste liquid but also the surfactant, thereby achieving high treatment capacity and a high surfactant concentration in the recovered liquid. To increase recovery capacity and surfactant concentration in the recovered liquid, it is preferable to heat the waste liquid to a temperature between 35°C and 90°C. The reason for controlling the temperature to 90°C or below is to prevent equipment failure due to bumping of the waste liquid. Furthermore, the waste liquid heating mechanism preferably heats the aqueous developer waste liquid to a temperature that causes layer separation in the aqueous developer waste liquid in a stationary state. In this way, the aqueous developer waste liquid can be separated into a waste liquid layer (a layer containing development residues) and a developer layer (a layer that is not a waste liquid layer and is mainly composed of water as a solvent) while the liquid is left stationary. The developer layer is then atomized to generate mist, and the generated mist is collected using a mist collection mechanism, thereby enabling efficient recovery of the aqueous developer. When heating and atomizing the waste liquid, the waste liquid may be stirred or circulated between the atomization chamber and the storage chamber. In such cases, even when heated to the layer separation temperature, the waste liquid may not appear to be neatly separated into a waste liquid layer and a developer layer (to the naked eye). However, because the waste liquid and the developer layer are separated microscopically, the developer layer is preferentially converted into mist by the atomization process. In other words, in this embodiment, it is not necessary to allow the waste liquid to stand still when heating or atomizing the waste liquid at the layer separation temperature. If the waste liquid is not allowed to stand still, the waste liquid may not completely separate into a waste liquid layer and a developer layer even when the layer separation temperature is reached. However, even in such cases, the aqueous developer can be efficiently recovered by the atomization process. The waste liquid heating mechanism may be provided inside the atomization chamber 71 or outside the atomization chamber 71.

[0068] <Atomization chamber> As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the atomization chamber 71 has a storage space 71A for storing waste developer and at least one ultrasonic element 71B provided in the storage space 71A. The storage space 71A is a substantially cylindrical space surrounded by a bottom wall 71Aa and a side wall 71Ab connected to the periphery of the bottom wall 71Aa. In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the bottom wall 71Aa is substantially rectangular in plan view, and the storage space 71A is substantially rectangular (rectangular). However, the planar shape of the bottom wall and the three-dimensional shape of the storage space are not limited thereto. For example, a bottom wall that is substantially circular in plan view and a substantially cylindrical storage space may be used.

[0069] As shown in FIG. 3, the ultrasonic element 71B can be disposed below the storage space 71A. When multiple ultrasonic elements 71B are provided, additional parts may be provided to separate the ultrasonic elements 71B or to control the airflow around the ultrasonic elements 71B. The atomization chamber 71 may further include a waste liquid heating mechanism. The waste liquid heating mechanism installed in the atomization chamber 71 preferably heats the waste liquid by immersing hot water or a heat medium in a pipe made of, for example, copper or aluminum, which has high thermal conductivity, or stainless steel, which has excellent corrosion resistance, in the waste liquid. From the viewpoint of corrosion resistance to the waste liquid, the atomization chamber 71 is preferably made of one or more of stainless steel, aluminum, and polyvinyl chloride. The waste developer supplied to the atomization chamber 71 is heated by a waste liquid heating mechanism installed outside or inside the atomization chamber 71.

[0070] In the storage space 71A of the atomization chamber 71, the liquid level of the supplied waste developer is maintained within a certain range. This "certain range" refers to the liquid level at which the waste developer is efficiently atomized by the ultrasonic vibrations generated by the ultrasonic element 71B, and is determined by the performance and height of the ultrasonic element 71B and the components and composition of the waste developer. A drain port (not shown) is provided in the bottom wall 71Aa or side wall 71Ab of the atomization chamber 71, allowing the waste developer to overflow. The liquid level can be controlled by controlling the amount of this overflow. Furthermore, a liquid level sensor is installed in the storage space 71A of the atomization chamber 71, and the liquid level can be maintained constant by controlling the output value of the waste developer supply pump based on the sensor value.

[0071] 3 and 4, the atomization chamber 71 is provided with a mist collection port 71C disposed vertically above the storage space 71A to supply the mist generated by the ultrasonic element 71B in the storage space 71A to the mist collection mechanism 72. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the mist collection port 71C has a generally rectangular shape in plan view, similar to the bottom wall 71Aa that constitutes the storage space 71A. However, the planar shape of the mist collection port is not limited to this; for example, a mist collection port having a generally circular shape in plan view can also be used. Furthermore, the planar shapes of the bottom wall 71Aa and the mist collection port 71C do not necessarily have to be similar.

[0072] In order to enhance processing capacity, the atomization chamber 71 in this embodiment preferably has a tapered structure toward the mist collection port 71C. That is, as shown in FIGS. 3B and 4, inclined walls 71D that slope vertically upward toward the center of the storage space 71A in a plan view are connected to the upper ends of the side walls 71Ab that constitute the storage space 71A of the atomization chamber 71, and the mist collection port 71C can be formed by the upper ends of these inclined walls 71D. In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3B and 4, the side walls 71Ab are connected to the four sides of the bottom wall 71Aa, which is generally rectangular in a plan view, so that they rise vertically upward. The inclined walls 71D, which are generally trapezoidal in a plan view, can be connected to the upper ends of each of the four side walls 71Ab. The mist collection port 71C, which is generally rectangular in a plan view, can be formed by the upper ends (upper sides of the trapezoid) of these four inclined walls 71D. The structure made up of such inclined walls 71D tapers vertically upward in a side view, and is therefore referred to as a "tapered structure" in this specification.

[0073] If there is no tapered structure as shown in Figure 3(A), some of the mist generated in the atomization chamber 71 will accumulate in the upper corners of the atomization chamber 71 and will re-condense after colliding with each other and with the wall of the atomization tank, resulting in relatively low mist collection efficiency.However, by providing a tapered structure above the atomization chamber 71 as shown in Figure 3(B), it is possible to eliminate mist accumulation in the corners and enable efficient mist collection.

[0074] From the viewpoint of further enhancing the effect of suppressing mist retention, it is preferable that the taper angle θ is 15° or more (Note that, as shown in FIG. 4, the taper angle θ is defined as the angle between the surface of the inclined wall 71D constituting the tapered structure (hereinafter referred to as "slope A") and an imaginary plane (hereinafter referred to as "bottom surface") formed by the upper ends of the four side walls 71Ab. In other words, in the case of the angle between the inclined surface A and the bottom surface, a straight line L passing through an arbitrary point O on the intersection line L of these two planes (the upper ends of the side walls 71Ab) and perpendicular to the intersection line L on the inclined surface A and the bottom surface is defined as the taper angle θ. A ,L 底面 Draw LA and L 底面 (The angle formed by the taper angle θ is the angle formed by the slope A and the bottom surface.) On the other hand, if the inclination of the taper angle θ is too large, the height of the atomization chamber 71 becomes large, and the distance between the liquid surface of the waste developer and the mist collection port 71C becomes too large, resulting in a decrease in mist collection efficiency. From the above viewpoint, it is preferable that the taper angle θ be 15° or more and 55° or less.

[0075] The tapered structure in the examples of Figures 3(B) and 4 resembles a quadrangular pyramid with the apex cut off, but the shape of the base is not particularly limited and may be a square, rectangle, parallelogram, or other polygon, or even a circle. For example, if the base is rectangular and the taper angles θ of the slopes A constituting the taper are different, the smallest angle is taken as the taper angle θ of the atomization chamber design. Design factors other than the taper angle θ, such as the length of each side and the volume of the atomization chamber 71, can be selected arbitrarily, taking into account the number of ultrasonic elements 71B used and the amount of waste developer to be treated.

[0076] In this embodiment, the inclined wall 71D is a flat plate-like inclined wall, but the inclined wall 71D does not necessarily have to be flat. For example, a curved inclined wall 71D with a downward convexity as shown in FIG. 5(A) or a curved inclined wall 71D with an upward convexity as shown in FIG. 5(B) can be used. Even when such a curved inclined wall 71D is used, it is possible to prevent mist from accumulating in the upper corners of the atomization chamber 71.

[0077] As another form of the atomization chamber 71, a structure in which the internal space is separated into an upper space 71F and a lower space 71G, as shown in Fig. 6, can be adopted. In this case, the upper space 71F is used to store the waste developer, and at least one ultrasonic element 71B is disposed in the lower space 71G. The waste developer flows into the upper space 71F from a pump and is stored therein, and the waste developer overflows from a discharge port (not shown) to be circulated. Between adjacent ultrasonic elements 71B in the lower space 71G, cooling water or unheated waste developer flows in from an inlet (not shown) by a pump, is stored therein, and is discharged from a discharge port (not shown).

[0078] As shown in FIG. 8, the upper space 71F and the lower space 71G are separated by a separation plate 71H, which has a hollowed-out portion corresponding to the upper surface of the ultrasonic element 71B. The performance of the ultrasonic element 71B gradually deteriorates due to heated waste developer and self-heat generated during operation of the ultrasonic element 71B. Cooling the ultrasonic element 71B is effective in preventing or slowing down this deterioration in performance. Therefore, it is preferable to use a structure in which a cooling fluid can be introduced into a space adjacent to the ultrasonic element 71B in the lower space 71G to cool the ultrasonic element 71B.

[0079] In order to prevent the fluids flowing through the upper space 71F and the lower space 71G from mixing, a clamp 71I may be further placed between the ultrasonic element 71B and the separation plate 71H as shown in Figure 10, and a rubber gasket 71J may be inserted to fill the gap as shown in Figure 11, or a separation film 71K thinner than the separation plate 71H may be attached above or below the separation plate 71H, which has been hollowed out from the top surface of the ultrasonic element 71B, as shown in Figures 7 and 9, to separate the upper space 71F and the lower space 71H.

[0080] To minimize heat transfer from the upper space 71F to the lower space 71G, the material of the separator 71H preferably has a thermal conductivity (W / m·K) of 3 or less, more preferably 1 or less, and even more preferably 0.5 or less. While the material of the separator 71H is not limited as long as it satisfies these values, resin materials are preferred, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polycarbonate resins, polyamide resins, polyvinyl chloride resins, poly(meth)acrylic resins, various rubber materials, and silicone resins. These resins may contain various plasticizers or inorganic materials to enhance strength and processability. From the perspective of heat transfer from the upper space 71F to the lower space 71G, the thickness of the separator 71H is preferably 0.5 mm to 20 mm, more preferably 1 mm to 15 mm, and even more preferably 2 mm to 12 mm.

[0081] When separation film 71K is provided, ultrasonic waves generated by ultrasonic element 71B are transmitted to the waste developer solution through separation film 71K. Therefore, it is preferable to use a material with an acoustic impedance close to that of water, the main component of waste developer solution. By making separation film 71K's acoustic impedance closer to that of water, the amount of ultrasonic waves generated by ultrasonic element 71B reflected by separation film 71K is reduced, and the amount transmitted is increased. Specifically, separation film 71K is preferably made of a material with an acoustic impedance of 500 to 5,000, more preferably 800 to 3,000, and even more preferably 1,000 to 2,000. While the material of separation film 71K is not limited as long as it satisfies these values, resin-based materials are preferred, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polycarbonate-based resins, polyamide-based resins, polyvinyl chloride-based resins, poly(meth)acrylic resins, EPDM, polybutadiene rubber, silicone rubber, and other rubber-based materials, as well as silicone resins. From the viewpoint of strength and ultrasonic absorption by the film, the thickness of the separation film 71K is preferably 0.01 mm or more and 2 mm or less, more preferably 0.02 mm or more and 1.5 mm or less, and even more preferably 0.025 mm or more and 1 mm or less.

[0082] To secure the separation plate 71H and separation film 71K, it is preferable to weld a support to the side wall 71Ab of the atomization chamber 71 and sandwich a packing to secure the separation plate 71H and separation film 71K. If only the separation plate 71H is used and a clamp 71I is used between the ultrasonic element 71B and the separation plate 71H, a support for securing the clamp 71I may be used. It is effective to provide a packing 71J between the support and the clamp.

[0083] In this way, by separating the upper space 71F that stores the waste developer from the lower space 71G in which the ultrasonic element 71B is installed and designing the lower space 71G so that it can be cooled, it is possible to increase the amount of mist generated while suppressing deterioration of the ultrasonic element 71B.

[0084] <Mist collection mechanism> As shown in FIG. 2, the separation and recovery device 7 in this embodiment is equipped with a mist recovery mechanism 72. The mist of the waste developer generated in the atomization chamber 71 is recovered by the mist recovery mechanism 72 through the mist recovery port 71C using air as a carrier gas. If the mist recovery mechanism 72 is not installed, the mist generated by atomizing the waste developer has a greater specific gravity than air and therefore accumulates near the surface of the waste developer, eventually colliding with and condensing, and falling back into the waste developer. By efficiently recovering the mist of the waste developer using the mist recovery mechanism 72, mist recovery efficiency is significantly improved, and high processing capacity can be achieved. The type of the mist collection mechanism 72 is not particularly limited as long as it can efficiently collect the mist of the waste developer using air as a carrier gas. For example, a suction blower (not shown) may be installed from the mist collection port 71C at the top of the atomization chamber 71 through an exhaust duct 72A, or a blower may be installed between the aggregating mechanism 73 and the atomization chamber 71 in FIG. 2, so that the mist can be collected by the aggregating mechanism 73 by sucking or blowing the mist.

[0085] <Mist sorting mechanism> The separation and recovery device 7 in this embodiment preferably includes a mist sorting mechanism. When the ultrasonic element 71B ultrasonically vibrates the developer waste, developer components such as water and surfactants are preferentially atomized. However, it has been found that a small amount of developer residue contained in the developer waste also atomizes into mist. If all of this mist were collected, the developer residue would be mixed into the recovered developer, making it difficult to reuse the recovered developer. To solve the above problem, a mist sorting mechanism can be provided. The mist sorting mechanism can sort the mist to be collected from the mist recovery port 71C and the mist that condenses and returns to the developer waste in the atomization chamber 71 based on the size (diameter), mass, or both of the mist. Because developer residue mist is larger in size and mass than mist of water, surfactant, etc., it is possible to sort the collected mist by utilizing these differences.

[0086] Examples of mist sorting mechanisms include installing a cyclone outside the atomization chamber 71 (for example, between the mist collection port 71 and the mist collection mechanism 72) that sorts the collected mist based on mass, or installing a punching board 71E (FIG. 3) inside the atomization chamber 71 that sorts the collected mist based on both mass and size. However, installing at least one punching board 71E inside the atomization chamber 71 is preferable because it is simple, low-cost, and has high separation efficiency for developer residue. As shown in FIG. 3, the punching board 71E can be installed between the liquid surface of the waste developer solution and the mist collection port 71C. Installing the punching board 71E in this position can prevent developer residue from being mixed into the collected solution. In addition, it can also prevent contamination of the walls of the atomization chamber 71, the mist collection port 71C, the waste duct 72A, etc. due to re-condensation of mist containing developer residue.

[0087] The material of punching board 71E is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include resins such as polyvinyl chloride and acrylic, stainless steel, and aluminum. The diameter of the holes is preferably 1 mm or more and 8 mm or less. A diameter of 8 mm or less improves the efficiency of separating the developer residue and prevents the resin from being mixed into the collected liquid. From the viewpoint of the workability and strength of punching board 71E, the diameter of the holes is preferably 1 mm or more.

[0088] The inventors have also discovered that the processing capacity can be significantly improved by installing an appropriately designed mist sorting mechanism in the tapered atomization chamber 71. That is, it has been discovered that the processing capacity can be significantly improved by installing a mist sorting mechanism, a punching board 71E with holes having a diameter of 2 mm to 8 mm, in the tapered atomization chamber 71.

[0089] This mechanism can be explained as follows. First, the air flow within the atomization chamber 71 is crucial for efficiently collecting the mist generated therein. Specifically, if the air flow is turbulent, the mist repeatedly collides with the walls of the atomization chamber 71 and with each other, causing recondensation and preventing efficient collection from the mist collection port 71C. By installing the punching board 71E within the atomization chamber 71, the air flow becomes more rectified and approaches laminar flow, reducing the frequency of collisions between the mist and the walls of the atomization chamber 71 and with each other, thereby suppressing mist recondensation. However, the improvement in collection volume cannot be achieved by using the punching board 71E alone; a tapered structure must also be provided in the atomization chamber 71. This can be interpreted as meaning that the above-mentioned rectification effect is only effective when the tapered structure is used to eliminate mist accumulation at the corners of the atomization chamber 71.

[0090] Furthermore, when only the tapered structure is adopted, while the processing capacity improves, there is a drawback in that the efficiency of separating development residue decreases. However, it was discovered that this can be solved by incorporating a mist sorting mechanism.

[0091] In view of the above, the mist sorting mechanism of the separation and recovery device 7 in this embodiment is preferably a punching board 71E having at least one layer, and the diameter of the holes in the punching board 71E is more preferably 1 mm to 8 mm, and when the atomization chamber 71 has a tapered structure, the diameter of the holes in the punching board 71E is even more preferably 2 mm to 8 mm. The opening ratio of the punching board 71E is not particularly limited, but can be selected, for example, in the range of 15% to 65%.

[0092] <Air heating mechanism> The separation and recovery device 7 in this embodiment preferably includes an air heating mechanism. The air heating mechanism heats and raises the temperature of the air supplied into the atomization chamber 71. When the temperature of the air inside the atomization chamber 71 is high, re-condensation of the generated mist can be suppressed, and the mist can be recovered efficiently. As a method of the air heating mechanism, for example, a resistance heater may be installed on the outer wall or inside of the atomization chamber 71 to heat the air inside the atomization chamber 71. Alternatively, a heater or a heat exchanger through which hot water passes may be installed outside the atomization chamber 71 to heat the air before it enters the atomization chamber 71.

[0093] <Condensation mechanism> As shown in FIG. 2, the separation and recovery device 7 in this embodiment preferably includes a condensation mechanism 73. The condensation mechanism 73 is used to re-condense the mist recovered or blown by the mist recovery mechanism to efficiently obtain recovered liquid. The condensation mechanism 73 can be implemented, for example, by passing the mist through a heat exchanger supplied with cooling water to cool it, or by forcibly bringing the mist into contact with each other using a demister or the like to condense the mist and recover it as liquid. The liquid recovered by the condensation mechanism 73 is sent to a recovered liquid tank 76. The recovered liquid stored in the recovered liquid tank 76 can be returned to the developing machine and reused. When a heat exchanger is used, it is preferable to set the cooling water temperature to 20°C or below in order to increase the amount of recovered liquid obtained by condensation. An air-cooled or water-cooled heat pump can be used for the cooling water.

[0094] <Waste liquid circulation mechanism> A common method for supplying waste liquid to the atomization chamber 71 is, for example, to continuously supply waste liquid from the outside to the atomization chamber 71 to perform mist treatment, and then discard the overflowing concentrated waste liquid (hereinafter referred to as a continuous treatment method), and this method can be applied to the separation and recovery device 7 of the present invention. However, from the viewpoints that the heating efficiency of the waste liquid can be further improved compared to this continuous treatment method, and that fluctuations in the components of the recovered liquid obtained can be suppressed and the concentration rate can be controlled as desired, it is preferable that the separation and recovery device 7 of the present invention adopts a batch treatment method by providing a waste liquid circulation mechanism.

[0095] By performing batch processing, sufficient time is ensured for the waste liquid to pass through the heating mechanism and heat up, allowing for efficient heating of the waste liquid, thereby increasing the processing capacity and surfactant concentration in the recovered liquid. Furthermore, even when the composition of the waste liquid supplied from outside fluctuates, recovered liquid with a substantially consistent composition can be obtained. One example of how the device can be operated is to start batch processing after supplying a fixed amount of waste liquid from the outside (the recovered liquid storage tank 52 of the waste liquid treatment and supply mechanism 5 of the developing device 1) into the storage chamber 74 via the waste liquid pipe 52a. Once the waste liquid in the storage chamber 74 has been concentrated to a fixed amount or less, the same amount of waste liquid is again supplied from the outside into the storage chamber 74. The above steps are repeated until a predetermined number of times is reached, at which point the batch processing is terminated and the concentrated liquid in the storage chamber 74 can be discarded. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of efficient waste liquid heating and increasing the processing capacity and surfactant concentration in the recovered liquid, it is preferable to further provide a heating mechanism for heating the waste liquid in the storage chamber 74.

[0096] Next, a method for separating and recovering a solvent from a waste developer solution containing developer residues using the separation and recovery device 7 according to this embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, four types of separation and recovery methods (first, second, third, and fourth) are adopted. These will be described in order below.

[0097] <First separation and recovery method> First, a first separation and recovery method according to this embodiment (hereinafter referred to as the "first method") will be described. The first method includes a heating step of heating a developer waste solution to 35°C or higher and 90°C or lower, an atomization step of atomizing the developer waste solution heated in the heating step to generate mist, and a recovery step of recovering the mist generated by the atomization step. The first method can be used when separating and recovering a solvent (water) from an aqueous developer waste solution generated by performing development using an aqueous developer solution containing at least a surfactant, and can also be used when separating and recovering a solvent from developer waste solutions other than aqueous developer waste solutions.

[0098] The heating step in the first method involves heating the developer waste liquid to between 35°C and 90°C using a waste liquid heating mechanism installed inside or outside the atomization chamber 71 of the separation and recovery device 7. The reason for controlling the temperature to below 90°C is to prevent equipment failure due to bumping of the waste liquid. As mentioned above, the heating method is not particularly limited, and examples include a method in which a resistance heater is submerged in the waste liquid, or a method in which hot water or a heat medium is passed through piping made of copper, aluminum, or stainless steel, which has high thermal conductivity, is submerged in the waste liquid. Heating the waste liquid reduces its viscosity, significantly improving the atomization efficiency of not only the water in the waste liquid but also the surfactant, thereby enabling high processing capacity and surfactant concentration in the recovered liquid.

[0099] The atomization process is a process in which the waste developer heated in the heating process is atomized in the atomization chamber 71 of the separation and recovery device 7 to generate mist. In the atomization chamber 71, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, for example, the waste developer stored in the storage space 71A is atomized by ultrasonic vibrations emitted by the ultrasonic element 71B to generate mist. The generated mist is sent to the mist recovery mechanism 72 via the mist recovery port 71C provided vertically above the storage space 71A, using air as a carrier gas.

[0100] When using an atomization chamber 71 having a structure in which the upper space 71F for storing the waste developer and the lower space 71G for arranging the ultrasonic element 71B are separated during the atomization process, it is preferable to use a pump to flow cooling water or unheated waste developer into the lower space 71G to cool the ultrasonic element 71B while atomizing. The temperature of the lower space 71G is preferably 10°C to 40°C, and more preferably 15°C to 35°C. Lowering the temperature of the lower space 71G too much increases the energy required for cooling, resulting in condensation, especially in summer, so a temperature of 10°C or higher is preferable. Furthermore, keeping the temperature at 40°C or lower can suppress deterioration of the ultrasonic element 71B. Because the temperature of the waste developer is heated to a temperature of 35°C to 90°C, the temperature of the lower space 71G can be adjusted depending on the temperature of the waste developer. When the temperature of the waste developer is between 35°C and 50°C, it is preferable to set the temperature difference between the upper space 71F and the lower space 71G to between 5°C and 40°C, and when the temperature of the waste developer is between 50°C and 90°C, it is preferable to set the temperature difference between the upper space 71F and the lower space 71G to between 15°C and 70°C. As the temperature of the waste developer increases, the temperature difference is increased. By using the above method, it is possible to suppress deterioration of the ultrasonic element while increasing the amount of mist generated.

[0101] The recovery process is a process in which the mist generated in the atomization process is recovered by the mist recovery mechanism 72 of the separation and recovery device 7. Without the mist recovery mechanism 72, the mist generated by atomizing the waste developer has a higher specific gravity than air and therefore accumulates near the surface of the waste developer. Eventually, the mist collides with and condenses, eventually falling back into the waste developer. By efficiently recovering the mist of the waste developer using the mist recovery mechanism 72, mist recovery efficiency is significantly improved, achieving high processing capacity. The type of the mist recovery mechanism 72 is not particularly limited as long as it can efficiently recover the mist of the waste developer using air as a carrier gas. Incidentally, by providing a tapered structure, such as that shown in FIG. 3(B), above the atomization chamber 71, mist accumulation at corners can be eliminated, enabling efficient mist recovery.

[0102] When the first method is adopted, the developer waste liquid is atomized using an ultrasonic element to generate mist, and the generated mist is collected by the mist collection mechanism 72, thereby making it possible to collect the solvent from the developer waste liquid, with the developer residue removed. Furthermore, in the first method, by heating the developer waste liquid with the waste liquid heating mechanism before atomization, it is possible to obtain a collected liquid having a high solvent concentration with high processing capacity.

[0103] <Second separation and recovery method> Next, a second separation and recovery method (hereinafter referred to as "second method") according to this embodiment will be described. The second method is a method for separating and recovering a solvent from an aqueous developer waste liquid generated by carrying out development using an aqueous developer containing at least a surfactant, and includes a heating step of heating the aqueous developer waste liquid at a temperature (layer separation temperature) at which layer separation occurs in the aqueous developer waste liquid in a stationary state, an atomization step of atomizing the developer waste liquid heated in the heating step to generate mist, and a recovery step of recovering the mist generated by the atomization step. The atomization step and the recovery step are substantially the same as those in the first method, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0104] The heating step in the second method is a step of heating the aqueous developer waste liquid at a layer separation temperature. The aqueous developer waste liquid may be heated in a flowing state (for example, in a stirred state or a circulating state), and in such a state, layer separation does not necessarily occur even if it is heated at the layer separation temperature. Therefore, in the heating step, it is sufficient that the aqueous developer waste liquid is heated at the layer separation temperature, and it is not necessarily required that layer separation actually occurs. As the layer separation temperature, a predicted temperature calculated based on the formulas (4) and (5) employed in the third separation and recovery method described later, or a predicted temperature calculated based on the formulas (6) and (7) employed in the fourth separation and recovery method described later, can be used.

[0105] The minimum layer separation temperature is preferably 90°C or lower, more preferably 80°C or lower, even more preferably 70°C or lower, and particularly preferably 60°C or lower. A lower minimum layer separation temperature is preferable because layer separation occurs more easily. The lower limit of the minimum layer separation temperature is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, 25°C, 30°C, 35°C, or 40°C. The range of the minimum layer separation temperature may be, for example, 25 to 90°C, 30 to 80°C, 35 to 70°C, or 40 to 60°C. The minimum layer separation temperature depends on the composition of the aqueous developer waste liquid.

[0106] In the second method, prior to the heating step, a group consisting of the following (A) to (D): (A) Increase the pH of aqueous developer wastewater; (B) A layer separation promoter is added to the aqueous developer waste solution. (C) Removing a portion of the development residue from the aqueous developer waste; (D) Removal of some surfactants from aqueous developer waste; The method may further include an adjusting step of obtaining an adjusted waste liquid by performing at least one adjustment selected from the following:

[0107] The phase separation promoter may be a compound represented by the following formula (1), a compound represented by the following formula (2), or a combination thereof. Formula (1):R 1 O(A 1 O) n R 2 (In the formula, R 1 and R 2 are each independently an alkyl group having 2 to 6 carbon atoms or an alkenyl group having 2 to 6 carbon atoms, preferably an alkyl group having 2 to 6 carbon atoms, more preferably an alkyl group having 4 carbon atoms (butyl group); A 1 is an alkylene group having 2 to 4 carbon atoms, preferably an alkylene group having 2 or 3 carbon atoms, and more preferably an alkylene group having 2 carbon atoms (-CHCH-), and n is an integer of 1 to 5, preferably an integer of 1 to 3, and more preferably 2. Formula (2):R 3 O(A 2 O)m H (In the formula, R 3 is an alkyl group having 3 to 8 carbon atoms or an alkenyl group having 3 to 8 carbon atoms, preferably an alkyl group having 3 to 8 carbon atoms, more preferably an alkyl group having 6 carbon atoms (hexyl group), and A 2 is an alkylene group having 2 to 4 carbon atoms, preferably an alkylene group having 2 or 3 carbon atoms, and more preferably an alkylene group having 2 carbon atoms (-CHCH-), and m is an integer of 1 to 5, preferably an integer of 1 to 3, and more preferably 2. By using such a phase separation promoter, the minimum phase separation temperature can be lowered.

[0108] In the second method, when the minimum layer separation temperature of the aqueous developer waste liquid is high and it is difficult to cause layer separation, the adjustment step can be carried out to lower the minimum layer separation temperature, which makes it possible to easily cause layer separation and efficiently recover the aqueous developer.

[0109] The adjustment (A) in the adjustment step is an adjustment to increase the pH of the aqueous developer waste liquid. By increasing the pH of the aqueous developer waste liquid, the minimum layer separation temperature tends to decrease. The method for increasing the pH of the aqueous developer waste liquid is not particularly limited, and an example thereof includes a method of adding an inorganic base to the aqueous developer waste liquid (specific examples of inorganic bases will be described later).

[0110] The adjustment (B) in the adjustment step is an adjustment in which a layer separation accelerator is added to the aqueous developer waste liquid. As the concentration of the layer separation accelerator in the aqueous developer waste liquid increases, the minimum layer separation temperature tends to decrease.

[0111] The adjustment (C) in the adjustment step is an adjustment to remove a part of the development residue from the aqueous developer waste liquid. When the concentration of the development residue in the aqueous developer waste liquid decreases, the minimum layer separation temperature tends to decrease. The method for removing a part of the development residue from the aqueous developer waste liquid is not particularly limited, and for example, a method of filtering the aqueous developer waste liquid with a filter can be mentioned.

[0112] The adjustment (D) in the adjustment step is an adjustment to remove a portion of the surfactant from the aqueous developer waste liquid. As the concentration of the surfactant in the aqueous developer waste liquid decreases, the minimum layer separation temperature tends to decrease. The method for removing a portion of the surfactant from the aqueous developer waste liquid is not particularly limited, and an example thereof is a method in which the surfactant is adsorbed and removed by immersing a hydrophobic resin in the aqueous developer waste liquid, utilizing the surfactant's binding ability to a hydrophobic resin.

[0113] In the adjusting step, only Adjustment (A), only Adjustment (B), only Adjustment (C), or only Adjustment (D) may be performed. Also, in the adjusting step, the following combinations may be performed: Adjustment (A) + (B); Adjustment (A) + (C); Adjustment (A) + (D); Adjustment (B) + (C); Adjustment (B) + (D); Adjustment (C) + (D); Adjustment (A) + (B) + (C); Adjustment (A) + (B) + (D); Adjustment (A) + (C) + (D); Adjustment (B) + (C) + (D); or Adjustment (A) + (B) + (C) + (D).

[0114] In the adjusting step, it is preferable to adjust the minimum layer separation temperature of the adjusted waste liquid to preferably 90°C or less, more preferably 80°C or less, even more preferably 70°C or less, and particularly preferably 60°C or less. A lower minimum layer separation temperature is preferable because it facilitates layer separation. The lower limit of the minimum layer separation temperature is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 25°C, 30°C, 35°C, or 40°C. The range of the minimum layer separation temperature may be, for example, 25 to 90°C, 30 to 80°C, 35 to 70°C, or 40 to 60°C.

[0115] The aqueous developer waste liquid to be treated in the second method contains a surfactant, development residue, and water (solvent), and the surfactant preferably has a cloud point of 40°C or less. By using a surfactant with a cloud point of 40°C or less, the minimum layer separation temperature can be lowered to the above-mentioned predetermined value. The cloud point may be, for example, 10 to 40°C, 20 to 40°C, or 30 to 40°C.

[0116] When separating an aqueous developer waste solution into a waste solution phase and a developer solution phase, the surfactant is used to suppress the inclusion of development residues in the developer solution phase and the inclusion of resins in the recovered solution, and the surfactant is used to suppress the inclusion of resins in the recovered solution, and the surfactant is used to suppress the inclusion of resins in the recovered solution. Formula (3): RO(AO) p H (wherein R is an alkyl group or aryl group having 10 to 20 carbon atoms, A is an alkylene group having 2 to 4 carbon atoms, and p is an integer of 1 to 50). R is preferably an alkyl group or aryl group having 10 to 18 carbon atoms, A is preferably an alkylene group having 2 to 4 carbon atoms, and p is preferably an integer of 6 to 10.

[0117] In formula (3), A may be the same or different when p is 2 or greater. When p is 2 or greater, (AO)p in formula (1) may form a random polymer or a block polymer.

[0118] In formula (3), R represents an alkyl group or an aryl group having 10 to 20 carbon atoms. The alkyl group may be linear or branched, and examples thereof include methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, isopropyl, n-butyl, isobutyl, sec-butyl, tert-butyl, n-pentyl, isopentyl, neopentyl, n-hexyl, n-heptyl, n-octyl, n-nonyl, n-decyl, capryl, lauryl, myristyl, pentadecyl, palmityl, palmitoyl, and stearyl. Examples of aryl groups include phenyl and naphthyl. Examples of aryl groups include polycyclic phenyl groups such as biphenyl and triphenyl.

[0119] Examples of the alkylene group having 2 to 4 carbon atoms in the formula (3) include an ethylene group, a propylene group, and a butylene group.

[0120] The alkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, the aryl group, and the alkylene group having 2 to 4 carbon atoms in formula (3) also include groups having a substituent. Examples of the substituent include halogen atoms such as fluorine atoms and chlorine atoms; C1 to C6 alkyl groups such as methyl groups, ethyl groups, n-propyl groups, and isopropyl groups; and the like.

[0121] Among the polyalkylene glycols represented by formula (3), polyoxyalkylene alkyl ethers and polyoxyalkylene polycyclic phenyl ethers are more preferred.

[0122] (Polyoxyalkylene alkyl ether) The polyoxyalkylene alkyl ether is preferably represented by the following formula (3-1) or (3-2). R 4 O(CH2CH2O) p H (3-1) R 4 O(CH2CH2O) p1 (CH(CH3)CH2O) p2 H (3-2)

[0123] In formula (3-1), R 4 is an alkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, and p is a number from 1 to 50.

[0124] In formula (3-2), R 4 is hydrogen or an alkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, and the sum of p1 and p2 is a number from 1 to 50. -(CH2CH2O) p1 (CH(CH3)CH2O) p2 The - moiety may be a random polymer or a block polymer.

[0125] As the polyoxyalkylene alkyl ether, commercially available products can be used. The commercially available polyoxyalkylene alkyl ether is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include Newcol (registered trademark) NT-3, Newcol NT-5, Newcol NT-7, Newcol NT-9, Newcol NT-12, Newcol 2302, Newcol 2303, Newcol 1203, Newcol 1204, Newcol 2303-Y, Newcol 2304-YM, Newcol 2304-Y, polyoxyethylene 2-ethylhexyl ether (Newcol 1004, Newcol 1006, Newcol 1008), polyoxyethylene tridecyl ether (Newcol 1305), Newcol 2306-Y, Newcol 2306-HY, Newcol 2308-Y, Newcol 2308-LY, Newcol 708, Newcol 709, Newcol 82, Newcol 85, Newcol 1210, and Newcol 1902-Y.

[0126] Among the above, surfactants having a cloud point of 40°C or less include Newcol NT-7 (33°C), Newcol 2303-Y (38°C), Newcol 2306-HY (32°C), Newcol 2308-LY (38°C), and Newcol 1902-Y (33°C).

[0127] (Polyoxyalkylene polycyclic phenyl ether) The polyoxyalkylene polycyclic phenyl ether is preferably represented by the following formula (3-3). R 4 O(CH2CH2O) p H (3-3)

[0128] In formula (3-3), R 4 is a polycyclic phenyl, and p is a number from 1 to 50.

[0129] As the polyoxyalkylene polycyclic phenyl ether, commercially available products can be used. Examples of commercially available polyoxyalkylene polycyclic phenyl ethers include, but are not limited to, Newcol 703, Newcol 704, and Newcol 2604.

[0130] From the viewpoint of maintaining development performance, the amount of surfactant contained in the aqueous developer waste liquid is preferably 0.1% by mass or more. The aqueous developer waste liquid may contain multiple surfactants.

[0131] The aqueous developer waste solution to be treated in the second method may further contain an inorganic base. The use of an inorganic base can facilitate layer separation through a salting-out effect, thereby lowering the minimum layer separation temperature. The inorganic base can also function as a pH adjuster. Examples of inorganic bases include lithium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, calcium hydroxide, lithium carbonate, sodium carbonate, potassium carbonate, cesium carbonate, lithium bicarbonate, sodium bicarbonate, potassium bicarbonate, cesium bicarbonate, potassium fluoride, sodium fluoride, cesium fluoride, lithium chloride, and lithium bromide.

[0132] The minimum layer separation temperature of the aqueous developer waste liquid depends on the composition of the aqueous developer waste liquid, and therefore, the surfactant, development residue, water, inorganic base, and layer separation accelerator are preferably contained in the aqueous developer waste liquid in amounts such that the minimum layer separation temperature of the aqueous developer waste liquid becomes the above-mentioned predetermined value.

[0133] When the second method is employed, an aqueous developer waste solution generated by carrying out development using an aqueous developer system containing at least a surfactant is heated at a specific temperature (a temperature at which layer separation occurs in the aqueous developer waste solution in a stationary state), thereby making it possible to efficiently recover an aqueous developer containing extremely little development residue.

[0134] <Third separation and recovery method> Next, a third separation and recovery method (hereinafter referred to as "the third method") according to this embodiment will be described. The third method is a method for separating and recovering a solvent from an aqueous developer waste liquid generated by development using an aqueous development system containing at least a surfactant, and includes a heating step of heating the aqueous developer waste liquid at a temperature predicted to cause layer separation in the aqueous developer waste liquid in a stationary state, an atomization step of atomizing the developer waste liquid heated in the heating step to generate mist, and a recovery step of recovering the mist generated by the atomization step, wherein the aqueous developer waste liquid contains a surfactant having a cloud point of 40°C or less, an inorganic base, development residue, and water, and the predicted temperature is predicted based on the concentration of the development residue in the aqueous developer waste liquid, the concentration of the surfactant in the aqueous developer waste liquid, and the pH of the aqueous developer waste liquid. The atomization step and recovery step are substantially the same as those in the first method, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0135] Details of the surfactant and inorganic base in the third method are the same as those explained in the second method.

[0136] The heating step in the third method is a step of heating the aqueous developer waste liquid at a predicted temperature. The heating step is sufficient as long as the aqueous developer waste liquid is heated at the predicted temperature, and does not necessarily have to include a step of calculating the predicted temperature (prediction step).

[0137] The predicted temperature can be estimated based on the concentration of development residues in the aqueous developer waste liquid, the concentration of surfactants in the aqueous developer waste liquid, and the pH of the aqueous developer waste liquid. Specifically, the predicted temperature tends to decrease as the concentration of development residues decreases, the predicted temperature tends to decrease as the concentration of surfactants decreases, and the predicted temperature tends to decrease as the pH of the aqueous developer waste liquid increases.

[0138] The predicted temperature is preferably the temperature T (°C) of the aqueous developer waste liquid that satisfies the following formulas (4) and (5). In the following formulas, W is the concentration (mass%) of development residues in the aqueous developer waste liquid, Ca is the concentration (mass%) of surfactants in the aqueous developer waste liquid, and pH is the pH of the aqueous developer waste liquid. Since W, Ca, and pH are uniquely determined for each aqueous developer waste liquid, all values ​​of T at which formulas (4) and (5) hold are predicted temperatures, and the minimum value of T at which formulas (4) and (5) hold is the minimum predicted temperature. Although layer separation can be caused by heating the aqueous developer waste liquid at or above the minimum predicted temperature, from the viewpoint of keeping power consumption during waste liquid treatment low and being economically advantageous, the waste liquid heating temperature in the heating step is preferably (minimum predicted temperature + 20)°C or less.

number

number

[0139] As shown in the examples below, equations (4) and (5) were obtained by logistic regression analysis based on information on a large number of aqueous developer waste solutions. In the logistic regression analysis, the concentration of development residues in the aqueous developer waste solution, the concentration of surfactants in the aqueous developer waste solution, the pH of the aqueous developer waste solution, and the temperature of the aqueous developer waste solution were selected as explanatory variables, and the presence or absence of phase separation in the aqueous developer waste solution was selected as the response variable. Equation (4) is a monotonically increasing function of z, where z is a linear combination of W, Ca, pH, and T. Equation (4) can be understood as a discriminant for whether phase separation will occur, and it can be determined that phase separation will occur if the left-hand side is 0.5 or greater.

[0140] The concentration of development residue as an explanatory variable is related to layer separation, and its regression coefficient is negative (i.e., as the concentration of development residue increases, layer separation becomes less likely to occur). The mechanism behind this can be inferred as follows.

[0141] Various materials can be used for the photosensitive resin layer constituting the printing plate blank, but when a hydrophobic resin is used as one of the components, imparting hydrophilicity enables development in an aqueous developer. Methods of imparting a hydrophilic component to a hydrophobic component include those using a resin obtained by modifying a hydrophobic polymer with a carboxylic acid or a salt thereof as the main component, those using a mixture of a hydrophobic component mainly composed of a hydrophobic polymer and a hydrophilic component mainly composed of a hydrophilic polymer, those using a chemically bonded hydrophobic polymer as the main component, and those using a polymer mainly composed of a block copolymer of a hydrophobic monomer serving as a raw material for the hydrophobic polymer and a hydrophilic monomer serving as a raw material for the hydrophilic polymer. Particularly preferred examples include photosensitive flexographic plates that combine a hydrophilic component in some form with a hydrophobic component to form a dispersion-type plate in an aqueous developer.

[0142] From the above, it can be seen that development residue (unexposed resin) dispersed in aqueous developer waste has both hydrophilic and hydrophobic components. When development residue disperses in aqueous developer, it is assumed that it affects the surfactant / water bond in some way. Specifically, bonds occur between water / hydrophilic component of development residue, water / hydrophilic component of surfactant, and hydrophobic component of surfactant / hydrophobic component of development residue, allowing the development residue to enter between the water and surfactant, which in turn strengthens the bonding strength between water and surfactant. From the above mechanism, it can be thought that an increase in the concentration of development residue in aqueous developer waste makes it less likely for phase separation to occur.

[0143] The concentration of surfactants in aqueous developer waste as an explanatory variable is related to phase separation, and its regression coefficient is negative (i.e., as the surfactant concentration increases, phase separation becomes less likely to occur). The reason for this is thought to be that surfactants are the substances that cause phase separation, but if the concentration is too high, the micellar size increases, strengthening the bonds between the surfactant and water, or the surfactant and development residue, or both, making it more difficult for phase separation to occur.

[0144] The pH of aqueous developer waste solution, which is an explanatory variable, is related to layer separation, and its regression coefficient is positive (i.e., layer separation becomes more likely as the pH increases). The reason for this is thought to be that as the pH increases, the concentration of salts contained in inorganic bases used as pH adjusters also increases, which causes a salting-out effect that makes layer separation more likely to occur.

[0145] The temperature T of the aqueous developer waste solution as an explanatory variable is related to layer separation, and its regression coefficient is positive (i.e., layer separation becomes more likely as the temperature rises). The reason for this is thought to be that as the temperature of the aqueous developer waste solution is raised, the hydrogen bond between the hydrophilic group of the surfactant compound and water is broken, which makes layer separation more likely to occur.

[0146] The minimum predicted temperature is preferably 90°C or less, more preferably 80°C or less, even more preferably 70°C or less, and particularly preferably 60°C or less. A lower minimum predicted temperature is preferable because it facilitates phase separation. The lower limit of the minimum predicted temperature is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 25°C, 30°C, 35°C, or 40°C. The range of the minimum predicted temperature may be, for example, 25 to 90°C, 30 to 80°C, 35 to 70°C, or 40 to 60°C.

[0147] The lowest predicted temperature of the aqueous developer waste liquid depends on the composition of the aqueous developer waste liquid, and therefore, it is preferable that the surfactant, development residue, water, and inorganic base are contained in the aqueous developer waste liquid in amounts such that the lowest predicted temperature of the aqueous developer waste liquid becomes the above-mentioned predetermined value.

[0148] The third method does not necessarily require prediction of the predicted temperature, but may further include, before the heating step, a step (prediction step) of calculating the predicted temperature based on the concentration of development residues in the aqueous developer waste liquid, the concentration of surfactants in the aqueous developer waste liquid, and the pH of the aqueous developer waste liquid. In the prediction step, the predicted temperature is preferably predicted based on formulas (4) and (5). Furthermore, if the prediction step is not performed, the heating temperature may be determined based on a preliminary experiment, the intuition or experience of an operator, or any other method or basis, and it is preferable that the aqueous developer waste liquid is ultimately heated within the range of the predicted temperature predicted based on formulas (4) and (5).

[0149] Furthermore, prior to the heating step of the third method, the adjusting step described in the second method can also be carried out. In this case, the adjustment (B) of adding a layer separation promoter is not carried out, but an adjusted waste liquid is obtained by carrying out at least one of the adjustments (A) (increasing the pH of the aqueous developer waste liquid), (C) (removing a part of the development residue from the aqueous developer waste liquid), and (D) (removing a part of the surfactant from the aqueous developer waste liquid).

[0150] When the third method is adopted, an aqueous developer waste liquid generated by carrying out development using an aqueous developer system containing at least a surfactant is heated at a specific temperature (a temperature that is predicted to cause layer separation in the aqueous developer waste liquid in a stationary state), thereby making it possible to efficiently recover an aqueous developer containing extremely little development residue.

[0151] <Fourth separation and recovery method> Next, a fourth separation and recovery method (hereinafter referred to as "the fourth method") according to this embodiment will be described. The fourth method is a method for separating and recovering a solvent from an aqueous developer waste liquid generated by development using an aqueous development system containing at least a surfactant, and includes a heating step of heating the aqueous developer waste liquid at a temperature predicted to cause layer separation in the aqueous developer waste liquid in a stationary state, an atomization step of atomizing the developer waste liquid heated in the heating step to produce mist, and a recovery step of recovering the mist generated by the atomization step. The aqueous developer waste liquid contains a surfactant having a cloud point of 40°C or less, an inorganic base, development residue, water, and a layer separation promoter, and the predicted temperature is predicted based on the concentration of the development residue in the aqueous developer waste liquid, the concentration of the surfactant in the aqueous developer waste liquid, the pH of the aqueous developer waste liquid, and the total concentration of the layer separation promoter in the aqueous developer waste liquid. The atomization step and recovery step are substantially the same as those in the first method, so detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0152] The phase separation promoter is the compound represented by formula (1) and / or the compound represented by formula (2) already described in the second method. Details of the surfactant, inorganic base, and phase separation promoter in the fourth method are as described in the second method.

[0153] The heating step in the fourth method is a step of heating the aqueous developer waste liquid at a predicted temperature. The heating step is sufficient as long as the aqueous developer waste liquid is heated at the predicted temperature, and does not necessarily have to include a step of calculating the predicted temperature (prediction step).

[0154] The predicted temperature can be predicted based on the concentration of development residues in the aqueous developer waste liquid, the concentration of surfactants in the aqueous developer waste liquid, the pH of the aqueous developer waste liquid, and the total concentration of the compounds represented by formulas (1) and (2) in the aqueous developer waste liquid. Specifically, the predicted temperature tends to decrease as the concentration of development residues decreases, the predicted temperature tends to decrease as the concentration of surfactants decreases, the predicted temperature tends to decrease as the pH of the aqueous developer waste liquid increases, and the predicted temperature tends to decrease as the total concentration of the compounds represented by formulas (1) and (2) increases.

[0155] The predicted temperature is preferably a temperature T (°C) that satisfies the following formulas (6) and (7). In the following formulas, W is the concentration (mass%) of development residues in the aqueous developer waste liquid, Ca is the concentration (mass%) of surfactants in the aqueous developer waste liquid, pH is the pH of the aqueous developer waste liquid, and Cb is the total concentration (mass%) of the compounds represented by formulas (1) and (2) in the aqueous developer waste liquid. In the formulas, W, Ca, pH, and Cb are uniquely determined for each aqueous developer waste liquid, so all values ​​of T at which formulas (6) and (7) hold are predicted temperatures, and the minimum value of T at which formulas (6) and (7) hold is the minimum predicted temperature. Although phase separation can be caused by heating the aqueous developer waste liquid at or above the minimum predicted temperature, from the viewpoint of keeping power consumption during waste liquid treatment low and being economically advantageous, the waste liquid heating temperature in the heating step is preferably (minimum predicted temperature + 20)°C or less.

number

number

[0156] As shown in the Examples below, formulas (6) and (7) were obtained by logistic regression analysis based on information on a large number of aqueous developer waste solutions. In the logistic regression analysis, the concentration of development residues in the aqueous developer waste solution, the concentration of surfactants in the aqueous developer waste solution, the pH of the aqueous developer waste solution, the total concentration of the compounds represented by formulas (1) and (2) in the aqueous developer waste solution, and the temperature of the aqueous developer waste solution were selected as explanatory variables, and the presence or absence of layer separation in the aqueous developer waste solution was selected as the response variable.

[0157] The relationships between the layer separation and the concentration of the development residue, the concentration of the surfactant, the pH of the aqueous developer waste solution, and the temperature of the aqueous developer waste solution, which are explanatory variables, are as explained in the relationships with the formula (4) and the formula (5) in the third method.

[0158] The total concentration of the compounds represented by formula (1) and formula (2) in the aqueous developer waste solution, which is an explanatory variable, is related to phase separation, and its regression coefficient is positive (i.e., the probability of phase separation occurring increases as the total concentration of the compounds represented by formula (1) and formula (2) increases). The reason for this is thought to be that the alkyleneoxy groups of the compounds represented by formula (1) and formula (2) bind to water, making it difficult for the surfactant compound to bind to water, which makes phase separation more likely to occur.

[0159] The minimum predicted temperature of the aqueous developer waste liquid is preferably 90°C or less, more preferably 80°C or less, even more preferably 70°C or less, and particularly preferably 60°C or less. The lower the minimum predicted temperature, the easier layer separation occurs, which is preferable. The lower limit of the minimum predicted temperature is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 25°C, 30°C, 35°C, or 40°C. The range of the minimum predicted temperature may be, for example, 25 to 90°C, 30 to 80°C, 35 to 70°C, or 40 to 60°C.

[0160] The lowest predicted temperature of the aqueous developer waste liquid depends on the composition of the aqueous developer waste liquid, and therefore, it is preferable that the surfactant, development residue, water, inorganic base, and the compounds represented by formula (1) and formula (2) are contained in the aqueous developer waste liquid in such amounts that the lowest predicted temperature of the aqueous developer waste liquid becomes the above-mentioned predetermined value.

[0161] The fourth method does not necessarily require prediction of the predicted temperature, but may further include, prior to the heating step, a step (prediction step) of calculating the predicted temperature based on the concentration of development residues in the aqueous developer waste liquid, the concentration of surfactants in the aqueous developer waste liquid, the pH of the aqueous developer waste liquid, and the total concentration of the compounds represented by formulas (1) and (2) in the aqueous developer waste liquid. In the prediction step, the predicted temperature is preferably predicted based on formulas (6) and (7). Furthermore, if the prediction step is not performed, the heating temperature may be determined based on a preliminary experiment, the intuition or experience of an operator, or any other method or basis, and it is preferable that the aqueous developer waste liquid is ultimately heated within the range of the predicted temperature predicted based on formulas (6) and (7).

[0162] Furthermore, prior to the heating step in the fourth method, the adjusting step (obtaining an adjusted waste liquid by performing at least one of the adjustments (A) to (D)) described in the second method can also be performed. In the fourth method, unlike the third method, it is permissible to add a layer separation promoter to the aqueous developer waste liquid, and therefore an adjusted waste liquid can also be obtained by performing the adjustment (B) of adding a layer separation promoter.

[0163] When the fourth method is adopted, an aqueous developer waste liquid generated by carrying out development using an aqueous developer system containing at least a surfactant is heated at a specific temperature (a temperature that is predicted to cause layer separation in the aqueous developer waste liquid in a stationary state), thereby making it possible to efficiently recover an aqueous developer containing extremely little development residue.

[0164] The first to fourth methods can include a mist sorting step in which, based on the size and / or mass of the mist generated in the atomization step, the mist to be recovered is sorted from the mist that re-condenses and returns to the waste developer solution. This mist sorting step makes it possible to separate at least a portion of the development residue in the waste developer solution from the waste developer solution, thereby making it possible to recover the solvent while reducing the amount of development residue mixed in. The mist sorting step can be performed using the mist sorting mechanism already described (for example, a cyclone that sorts the recovered mist based on mass, or a punching board 71E that sorts the recovered mist based on both mass and size).

[0165] Moreover, the first to fourth methods can further include a step of returning the overflowing waste developer liquid from the storage chamber 74, which stores the waste developer supplied from the outside, to the atomization chamber 71 and among the remaining waste developer liquid that has been atomized, back to the storage chamber 74 and sent again to the atomization chamber 71. By this step, the waste developer liquid containing the developer residue is circulated between the atomization chamber 71 and the storage chamber 74 and subjected to mist treatment, whereby the solvent component is recovered and the liquid is gradually concentrated.

[0166] Next, a developer recycling method according to this embodiment will be described. In this method, the solvent recovered by the (first to fourth) separation and recovery methods according to this embodiment is supplied to the developing device 1 according to this embodiment, and is reused as part of the developer supplied from the developer supply unit (discharge pipe 31) and / or as part of the rinse liquid supplied from the rinse liquid supply unit (discharge pipe 32). By adopting this method, it is possible to reduce the amount of waste developer and the amount of new developer used.

[0167] Next, a method for producing an aqueous developer according to this embodiment will be described. This method is a method for producing a new developer and / or rinse solution using the solvent recovered by the (first to fourth) separation and recovery methods according to this embodiment.

[0168] Next, a method for producing a printing plate according to this embodiment will be described. This method includes the steps of irradiating a printing blank with infrared light to form a pattern, irradiating the patterned printing blank with ultraviolet light to expose the pattern, and removing the unexposed area from the exposure step using an aqueous developer produced by the method for producing an aqueous developer according to this embodiment. [Example]

[0169] <Overall configuration of waste liquid recovery device> The overall configuration of an embodiment of the separation and recovery device 7 according to the present invention will be described below, but the present invention is not limited to the embodiment shown below. In the embodiment shown below, technically preferable limitations are imposed for carrying out the present invention, but these limitations are not essential requirements for the present invention.

[0170] The separation and recovery device 7 used in this study is equipped with a waste liquid circulation mechanism and employs a batch processing system, as shown in Figure 2. Specifically, waste developer supplied from the outside is stored in a storage chamber 74, supplied to the atomization chamber 71 via a pump 75, and atomized by an ultrasonic element 71B installed in the atomization chamber 71. Waste developer overflowing from the outlet is returned to the storage chamber 74 and the atomization chamber 71, where it is concentrated as it circulates. The separation and recovery device 7 also includes a suction blower as a mist recovery mechanism 72 and a heat exchanger as a condensation mechanism 73, through which cooling water at approximately 8°C flows. After the mist is recovered by the suction blower, it is cooled in the heat exchanger, condensed, and then recovered in the recovery liquid tank 76. The dried air from which the mist has been recovered is returned to the atomization chamber 71.

[0171] <Examples 1 to 20> First, Examples 1 to 20 corresponding to the first separation and recovery method will be described.

[0172] The developer waste is waste liquid generated when an original plate is developed using the developing device 1. The aqueous developer containing water and a surfactant contains development residue. The mass percentage concentrations of the surfactant and development residue were measured using the method described below and were found to be 4.3% and 1.2%, respectively.

[0173] <Method for measuring development residue concentration and surfactant concentration> The weight percent concentration of surfactant and developer residue is measured by weighing the developer waste before and after drying to determine the nonvolatile content. Specifically, a fixed amount of developer waste is first collected and filtered through a 0.8 μm membrane filter to remove the developer residue, and then the weight W1 is measured. Next, the developer waste is dried in a thermostatic chamber at 40°C, and the weight W2 of the nonvolatile components is measured. The surfactant concentration is calculated by calculating (W2 / W1) x 100. Similarly, a fixed amount of developer waste is collected again, and its weight W3 is measured without filtering through a membrane filter. The developer waste is dried in a thermostatic chamber at 40°C, and the nonvolatile components W4 are measured. The concentration of developer residue is determined by subtracting the surfactant concentration from the nonvolatile component concentration calculated by (W4 / W3) x 100.

[0174] The above-mentioned waste developer solution was separated and recovered using the separation and recovery device 7 shown in Fig. 2. At that time, the ultrasonic element 71B was turned on and then the process was carried out for 3 minutes, and the recovered solution accumulated in the recovered solution tank 76 was weighed to determine the amount recovered. In addition, the surfactant concentration and development residue concentration in the recovered solution were each determined by the above-mentioned measurement method.

[0175] Example 1 A waste liquid heating mechanism was installed in the atomization chamber 71 to heat the developer waste liquid to 40°C before atomization. The waste liquid heating mechanism used was a stainless steel pipe submerged in the waste liquid, through which hot water flowed. The atomization chamber 71 was designed as a rectangular parallelepiped (105 cm long x 45 cm wide x 40 cm high) without a tapered structure, as shown in Figure 3(A). The amount recovered over three minutes, the surfactant concentration in the recovered liquid, and the developer residue concentration were measured and the results are shown in Table 1.

[0176] In Table 1, "x" indicates that the measurement result was unfavorable (recovery amount less than 0.15 L, surfactant concentration less than 0.75%), "△" indicates that the measurement result was favorable (recovery amount 0.15 L or more but less than 0.3 L, surfactant concentration 0.75% or more but less than 1.5%, development residue concentration 0.8% or more but less than 1.0%), "〇" indicates that the measurement result was more favorable (recovery amount 0.3 L or more but less than 0.45 L, surfactant concentration 1.5% or more, development residue concentration 0.6% or more but less than 0.8%), "◎" indicates that the measurement result was even more favorable (recovery amount 0.45 L or more but less than 0.6 L, development residue concentration 0.4% or more but less than 0.6%), and "◎〇" indicates that the measurement result was the most favorable (recovery amount 0.6 L or more, development residue concentration less than 0.4%).

[0177] <Example 2> The separation and recovery device 7 in this embodiment employs an atomization chamber 71 (tapered portion: a square pyramid with a bottom surface measuring 105 cm long x 45 cm wide, with the apex cut off, and a lower portion: a rectangular parallelepiped measuring 105 cm long x 45 cm wide x 20 cm high) with a taper angle of 23° as shown in Figures 3(B) and 4. Except for this, the device has the same configuration as in Example 1 and the same atomization process was performed, and the recovery amount, surfactant concentration in the recovered liquid, and development residue concentration were measured over a 3-minute period. The results are shown in Table 1.

[0178] <Examples 3 to 6> The separation and recovery device 7 in each of these Examples had the same configuration as in Example 2, except that the taper angle of the atomization chamber 71 was changed to 15°, 50°, 60°, and 10°, respectively, and the same atomization process was performed, and the recovery amount, surfactant concentration in the recovered liquid, and development residue concentration were measured over 3 minutes. The results are shown in Table 1.

[0179] <Examples 7 to 11> In each of the present Examples, the separation and recovery device 7 has a mist sorting mechanism installed in the atomization chamber 71, which is a punched board 71E as shown in Fig. 3, with holes of 1 mm, 2 mm, 3 mm, 8 mm, and 10 mm in diameter. Except for this, the same device configuration and atomization process as in Example 1 were performed, and the recovery amount, surfactant concentration, and development residue concentration in the recovered solution were measured over a 3-minute period. The results are shown in Table 1.

[0180] <Examples 12 to 18> The separation and recovery device 7 in each of these Examples includes a mist sorting mechanism installed in the atomization chamber 71, which is a punched board 71E (see FIG. 3) with holes of 1 mm, 2 mm, 3 mm, 4 mm, 6 mm, 8 mm, and 10 mm diameter. Each Example also employs an atomization chamber 71 with a 23° taper angle (tapered portion: a square pyramid with a base measuring 105 cm long x 45 cm wide, with the apex cut off; lower portion: a rectangular parallelepiped measuring 105 cm long x 45 cm wide x 20 cm high). Except for these features, the same device configuration and atomization process as in Example 1 were performed, and the recovery amount, surfactant concentration, and development residue concentration in the recovered solution were measured over a 3-minute period. The results are shown in Table 1.

[0181] Example 19 In the separation and recovery device 7 of this embodiment, a heat exchanger through which hot water passes was installed between the condensing mechanism 73 and the atomizing chamber 71 as an air heating mechanism, so that the dry air coming out of the condensing mechanism 73 was heated to 25°C before being supplied into the atomizing chamber 71. Except for this, the same device configuration and atomization process were carried out as in Example 1, and the recovery amount, surfactant concentration in the recovered liquid, and development residue concentration were measured over a 3-minute period. The results are shown in Table 1.

[0182] Example 20 The separation and recovery device 7 in this example employed an atomization chamber 71 (tapered portion: a rectangular pyramid with a base measuring 105 cm long x 45 cm wide, with the apex cut off; lower portion: a rectangular parallelepiped measuring 105 cm long x 45 cm wide x 20 cm high) with a taper angle of 23° as shown in Figures 3(B) and 4. A punching board 71E (holes with a diameter of 4 mm) as shown in Figure 3(B) was installed within the atomization chamber 71, and an air heating mechanism (a heat exchanger through which hot water was passed) was also installed to heat dry air to 25°C before supplying it to the atomization chamber 71. Except for this, the same device configuration and atomization process as in Example 1 were used, and the same recovery amount, surfactant concentration, and development residue concentration in the recovered solution were measured over a 3-minute period. The results are shown in Table 1.

[0183] <Comparative Example 1> This comparative example does not have a waste liquid heating mechanism. Therefore, the developer waste liquid is supplied to the atomization chamber at room temperature and atomized. Except for this, the same device configuration and atomization process were performed as in Example 1, and the recovery amount, surfactant concentration, and development residue concentration in the recovered liquid were measured over a 3-minute period. The results are shown in Table 1.

[0184] [Table 1]

[0185] First, in Example 1, in which the waste liquid was heated, a higher recovery amount and surfactant concentration in the recovered liquid were obtained than in Comparative Example 1, in which the waste liquid was not heated, and it was found that the recovery amount and surfactant concentration in the recovered liquid were respectively at preferable values ​​of 0.15 L or more and 0.75% or more.

[0186] Next, in Examples 2 to 6, which employed an atomization chamber with a tapered structure, the recovery amount was further increased compared to Example 1, reaching a more preferable value of 0.3 L or more. In particular, when the taper angle was 15° or more and 55° or less, the recovery amount was a particularly preferable value (0.35 L or more) (Examples 2 to 4). This is because the mist recovery efficiency was improved by providing a tapered structure. On the other hand, the concentration of development residue in the recovered liquid was a preferable value of 1.0% or less, but was slightly higher than in Example 1, which did not have a tapered structure, and it was found that the separation efficiency of development residue was reduced.

[0187] Next, in Examples 7 to 11, by providing the punching board 71E, the concentration of development residue in the recovered solution could be significantly reduced, and was further reduced to a more preferable value of 0.6% or less. In particular, when the hole diameter was 8 mm or less, the concentration of development residue was the most preferable value of 0.4% or less (Examples 7 to 10).

[0188] Next, in Examples 12 to 18, it can be seen that by providing a punching board 71E and an atomization chamber 71 having a tapered structure, both a high recovery amount and a low developer residue concentration can be achieved. That is, the developer residue concentration is a more preferable value of 0.6% or less, and the recovery amount is a more preferable value of 0.3 L or more. In particular, with the punching board 71E having holes with a diameter of 2 mm or more and 8 mm or less, the recovery amount is significantly improved, reaching a more preferable value of 0.45 L or more (Examples 13 to 17). This is due to the synergistic effect of the punching board 71E rectifying the mist-mixed air and the tapered structure of the atomization chamber 71 preventing the mist-mixed air from stagnating.

[0189] Next, in Examples 19 and 20, a high recovery amount was obtained by providing an air heating mechanism. In particular, in Example 20, which further provided a waste liquid heating mechanism, a tapered atomization chamber 71, and a punching board 71E, the recovery amount was 0.6 L or more, which is the most preferable range.

[0190] <Examples 21 to 30> Next, Examples 21 to 30 corresponding to the second to fourth separation and recovery methods will be described.

[0191] Information was collected on the relationship between heating temperature and the occurrence of layer separation for aqueous developer waste solutions containing various concentrations of development residue, surfactant (Newcol NT-7 (cloud point 33°C), Newcol 2303-Y (38°C), or Newcol 2308-LY (38°C): manufactured by Nippon Nyukazai Co., Ltd.), inorganic base (pH adjuster: potassium carbonate), and water, as well as aqueous developer waste solutions containing various concentrations of a layer separation accelerator (either diethylene glycol monohexyl ether or diethylene glycol dibutyl ether, or both) in addition to the above components, and a total of 600 pieces of training data were prepared.

[0192] The concentration of the phase separation accelerator in the aqueous developer waste was quantified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The concentrations of the developer residue and surfactant in the aqueous developer waste were determined as follows. First, the developer waste was weighed before and after drying to determine the nonvolatile content, thereby measuring the mass percent concentrations of the surfactant and developer residue. Specifically, a certain amount of developer waste was collected, filtered through a membrane filter with a pore size of 0.8 μm to remove the developer residue, and then the weight W1 was measured. Next, the developer waste was dried in a thermostatic chamber at 40°C, and the weight W2 of the nonvolatile components was measured. The surfactant concentration was calculated by subtracting the concentration of the phase separation accelerator determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry from the value calculated by (W2 / W1) × 100. Similarly, a certain amount of developer waste was collected again, and the weight W3 was measured without filtering through a membrane filter. The developer waste was dried in a thermostatic chamber at 40°C, and then the nonvolatile components W4 were measured. The concentration of the development residue is determined by subtracting the surfactant concentration from the nonvolatile component concentration calculated by (W4 / W3)×100.

[0193] <Aqueous developer waste solution that does not contain phase separation accelerators> From the collected information, a logistic regression analysis was performed using the concentration (mass%) of development residues in the aqueous developer waste liquid, the concentration (mass%) of surfactants in the aqueous developer waste liquid, the pH of the aqueous developer waste liquid, the concentration (mass%) of the layer separation accelerator in the aqueous developer waste liquid, and the temperature (°C) of the aqueous developer waste liquid as explanatory variables, and the presence or absence of layer separation in the aqueous developer waste liquid as a response variable. As a result, the concentration of the layer separation accelerator Cb=0 was set for the obtained mathematical formula, and the formulas (4) and (5) explained in the third method were obtained.

[0194] It is determined that layer separation will occur at a temperature that satisfies formulas (4) and (5). Such a temperature corresponds to the "predicted temperature" in the third method and the "layer separation temperature" in the second method. According to formulas (4) and (5), the regression coefficients of the development residue concentration (W) and the surfactant concentration (Ca) are negative, so as these increase, layer separation becomes less likely to occur. Furthermore, the regression coefficients of the pH and temperature (T) of the aqueous developer waste solution are positive, so as these increase, layer separation becomes more likely to occur.

[0195] <Aqueous developer waste solution containing phase separation accelerator> From the collected information, a logistic regression analysis was performed using the concentration (mass%) of development residues in the aqueous developer waste liquid, the concentration (mass%) of surfactants in the aqueous developer waste liquid, the pH of the aqueous developer waste liquid, the concentration (mass%) of the layer separation accelerator in the aqueous developer waste liquid, and the temperature (°C) of the aqueous developer waste liquid as explanatory variables, and the presence or absence of layer separation in the aqueous developer waste liquid as a response variable, and as a result, equations (6) and (7) explained in the fourth method were obtained.

[0196] It is determined that layer separation will occur at a temperature that satisfies equations (6) and (7). Such a temperature corresponds to the "predicted temperature" in the fourth method and the "layer separation temperature" in the second method. According to equations (6) and (7), the regression coefficients of the development residue concentration (W) and the surfactant concentration (Ca) are negative, so as these increase, layer separation becomes less likely to occur. Furthermore, the regression coefficients of the pH and temperature (T) of the aqueous developer waste solution and the layer separation accelerator concentration (Cb) are positive, so as these increase, layer separation becomes more likely to occur.

[0197] <Recovery of aqueous developer> Aqueous developer waste solutions having the compositions shown in Table 2 were prepared, and the presence or absence of layer separation when each waste solution was heated at a predetermined temperature, as well as the recovery efficiency of the aqueous developer solution, were confirmed. The results are shown in Table 2. In this case, the developer waste solution was separated and recovered in the same manner as in Example 20, using the separation and recovery device 7 shown in Figure 2. The concentrations of each component in the waste solution were measured by the analytical methods already described.

[0198] As shown in Table 2, layer separation of the aqueous developer waste liquid allowed for efficient recovery of the aqueous developer. That is, layer separation occurred in Examples 21 to 24, which were heated at a predicted temperature (layer separation temperature) satisfying formulas (4) and (5), and in Examples 25 to 30, which were heated at a predicted temperature (layer separation temperature) satisfying formulas (6) and (7), (◯ in Table 2). As a result, the processing rate (recovery rate of the developer layer) exceeded 15 L per hour (◎ in Table 2). On the other hand, layer separation did not occur in Comparative Examples 2 to 5, which were not heated at a predicted temperature (layer separation temperature) satisfying formulas (4) and (5), and in Comparative Examples 6 to 11, which were not heated at a predicted temperature (layer separation temperature) satisfying formulas (6) and (7), (× in Table 2). As a result, the processing rate was 3.6 to 12.8 L per hour (△ in Table 2).

[0199] [Table 2] [Explanation of symbols]

[0200] 1...Developing device 2...Transport section 7...Separation and collection device 11...Development area 12...Rinse area 31...Discharge pipe (developer supply part) 32...Discharge pipe (rinse liquid supply section) 41...Roll brush (unexposed area removal section) 71…Atomization chamber 71A...Storage space 71Aa…Bottom wall 71Ab…Side wall 71B...Ultrasonic element 71C...Mist collection port 71D…Slanted wall 71E...Punching card (mist sorting mechanism) 71F…Upper space 71G…Lower space 71H…Separation plate 71I... Clamp 71J...Packing 71K…Separation film 72...Mist collection mechanism 73...Condensation mechanism 74...Storage room 75...Plumbing P…Original version S...Developing system

Claims

1. A separation and recovery method for separating and recovering a solvent from a developer waste solution generated when developing a flexographic printing original plate, comprising: a heating step of heating the waste developer to a temperature of 35°C or higher and 90°C or lower; an atomization step of atomizing the developer waste liquid heated in the heating step to generate mist; a recovery process for recovering the mist generated by the atomization process; A separation and recovery method comprising:

2. 2. The separation and recovery method according to claim 1, wherein the developer waste liquid is an aqueous developer waste liquid generated by carrying out development using an aqueous development system containing at least a surfactant.

3. A separation and recovery method for separating and recovering a solvent from an aqueous developer waste solution generated by developing a flexographic printing original plate using an aqueous developer containing at least a surfactant, comprising: a heating step of heating the aqueous developer waste liquid at a temperature at which the aqueous developer waste liquid in a stationary state separates into two layers; an atomization step of atomizing the developer waste liquid heated in the heating step to generate mist; a recovery process for recovering the mist generated by the atomization process; A separation and recovery method comprising:

4. Prior to the heating step, a group consisting of the following (A) to (D): (A) increasing the pH of the aqueous developer waste liquid; (B) adding a compound represented by the following formula (1), a compound represented by the following formula (2), or a combination thereof to the aqueous developer waste solution; Formula (1): R １ O (A １ O) ｎ R ２ (In the formula, R １ and R ２ are each independently an alkyl group having 2 to 6 carbon atoms or an alkenyl group having 2 to 6 carbon atoms, and A １ is an alkylene group having 2 to 4 carbon atoms, and n is an integer of 1 to 5. Formula (2): R ３ O (A ２ O) ｍ H (wherein, R ３ is an alkyl group having 3 to 8 carbon atoms or an alkenyl group having 3 to 8 carbon atoms, and A ２ is an alkylene group having 2 to 4 carbon atoms, and m is an integer of 1 to 5. (C) removing a part of the development residue from the aqueous developer waste solution; (D) removing a portion of the surfactant from the aqueous developer waste liquid; The separation and recovery method according to claim 3, further comprising an adjusting step of obtaining an adjusted waste liquid by performing at least one adjustment selected from the following:

5. The surfactant is represented by the following formula (3): Formula (3): RO(AO) ｐ H (wherein R is an alkyl group or aryl group having 10 to 20 carbon atoms, A is an alkylene group having 2 to 4 carbon atoms, and p is an integer from 1 to 50) The separation and recovery method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein

6. R is an alkyl group or an aryl group having 10 to 18 carbon atoms, A is an alkylene group having 2 to 4 carbon atoms, The separation and recovery method according to claim 5, wherein p is an integer of 6 to 10.

7. The separation and recovery method according to claim 2 , wherein the surfactant has a cloud point of 40° C. or lower.

8. The separation and recovery method according to claim 2 , wherein the aqueous developer waste solution contains an inorganic base.

9. The separation and recovery method according to claim 2 , wherein the aqueous developer waste liquid is a waste liquid that undergoes layer separation at 90° C. or less when left standing.

10. A separation and recovery method for separating and recovering a solvent from an aqueous developer waste solution generated by developing a flexographic printing master plate, comprising: a heating step of heating the aqueous developer waste liquid at a temperature predicted to separate the aqueous developer waste liquid into two layers while the aqueous developer waste liquid is in a stationary state; an atomization step of atomizing the developer waste liquid heated in the heating step to generate mist; a recovery step of recovering the mist generated by the atomization step, the aqueous developer waste liquid contains a surfactant having a cloud point of 40°C or less, development residue, and water; the predicted temperature is predicted based on a concentration of the development residue in the aqueous developer waste liquid, a concentration of the surfactant in the aqueous developer waste liquid, and a pH of the aqueous developer waste liquid.

11. The predicted temperature is calculated based on the following equations (4) and (5): [Equation 1] [Equation 2] (wherein W is the concentration (% by mass) of the development residue in the aqueous developer waste liquid, Ca is the concentration (% by mass) of the surfactant in the aqueous developer waste liquid, pH is the pH of the aqueous developer waste liquid, and T is the temperature (°C) of the aqueous developer waste liquid).

12. A separation and recovery method for separating and recovering a solvent from an aqueous developer waste solution generated by developing a flexographic printing master plate, comprising: a heating step of heating the aqueous developer waste liquid at a temperature predicted to separate the aqueous developer waste liquid into two layers while the aqueous developer waste liquid is in a stationary state; an atomization step of atomizing the developer waste liquid heated in the heating step to generate mist; a recovery step of recovering the mist generated by the atomization step, the aqueous developer waste liquid contains a surfactant having a cloud point of 40°C or less, development residue, water, and a compound represented by the following formula (1) and / or a compound represented by the following formula (2), Formula (1): R １ O (A １ O) ｎ R ２ (In the formula, R １ and R ２ are each independently an alkyl group having 2 to 6 carbon atoms or an alkenyl group having 2 to 6 carbon atoms, and A １ is an alkylene group having 2 to 4 carbon atoms, and n is an integer of 1 to 5. Formula (2): R ３ O (A ２ O) ｍ H (wherein, R ３ is an alkyl group having 3 to 8 carbon atoms or an alkenyl group having 3 to 8 carbon atoms, and A ２ is an alkylene group having 2 to 4 carbon atoms, and m is an integer of 1 to 5. the predicted temperature is predicted based on the concentration of the development residue in the aqueous developer waste liquid, the concentration of the surfactant in the aqueous developer waste liquid, and the pH of the aqueous developer waste liquid, as well as the total concentration of the compounds represented by formula (1) and formula (2) in the aqueous developer waste liquid.

13. The predicted temperature is calculated based on the following equations (6) and (7): [Equation 3] [Equation 4] (wherein W is the concentration (% by mass) of the development residue in the aqueous developer waste liquid, Ca is the concentration (% by mass) of the surfactant in the aqueous developer waste liquid, pH is the pH of the aqueous developer waste liquid, Cb is the total concentration (% by mass) of the compounds represented by Formula (1) and Formula (2) in the aqueous developer waste liquid, and T is the temperature (° C.) of the aqueous developer waste liquid.

14. The separation and recovery method according to claim 10 , wherein the predicted temperature is 90° C. or less.

15. A separation and recovery method for separating and recovering a solvent from an aqueous developer waste solution generated by developing a flexographic printing master plate, comprising: a heating temperature determination step of determining a temperature to which the waste developer is heated; a heating step of heating the waste developer at the temperature determined in the heating temperature determination step; an atomization step of atomizing the developer waste liquid heated in the heating step to generate mist; a recovery step of recovering the mist generated by the atomization step, the waste developer can be separated into two layers having different dispersion concentrations of the development residue by heating, The temperature determined in the heating temperature determination step is calculated from the temperature at which the developer waste liquid separates, and is expressed by the following formulas (4) and (5): [Equation 5] [Equation 6] (wherein W is the concentration (% by mass) of the development residue in the aqueous developer waste liquid, Ca is the concentration (% by mass) of the surfactant in the aqueous developer waste liquid, pH is the pH of the aqueous developer waste liquid, and T is the temperature (°C) of the aqueous developer waste liquid.

16. a mist sorting step of sorting the mist generated in the atomization step into a mist to be recovered and a mist to be re-condensed and returned to the waste developer, based on the size and / or mass of the mist; The separation and recovery method according to claim 1 , wherein the solvent is recovered by separating at least a part of the development residue from the waste developer in the mist sorting step.

17. 17. The separation and recovery method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of returning overflowing developer waste liquid from a storage chamber that stores the developer waste liquid supplied from the outside to an atomization chamber and atomizing the remaining developer waste liquid, and then returning the developer waste liquid to the storage chamber and sending it back to the atomization chamber.

18. the atomization chamber used in the atomization step has an upper space for storing the waste developer and a lower space in which an ultrasonic element is installed, 18. The separation and recovery method according to claim 1, wherein in the atomization step, the temperature of the fluid flowing into the lower space is set to 10°C or higher and 40°C or lower, and the temperature difference between the upper space and the lower space is set to 5°C or higher and 70°C or lower.

19. supplying the solvent recovered by the separation and recovery method according to any one of claims 1 to 18 to a developing device comprising: a transport unit that transports a flexographic printing original plate having an exposed portion and an unexposed portion formed in the photosensitive resin layer; a developer supply unit that supplies a developer to the original plate transported by the transport unit and placed in a development area; an unexposed portion removal unit that removes the unexposed portion by rubbing the surface of the original plate placed in the development area; and a rinse liquid supply unit that cleans the surface of the original plate by supplying a rinse liquid to the original plate transported by the transport unit and placed in a rinse area adjacent to the development area; a developer recycling method, wherein a part of the developer supplied from the developer supply unit and / or a part of the rinse liquid supplied from the rinse liquid supply unit are reused;

20. A method for producing an aqueous developer, comprising: A method for producing an aqueous developer, comprising producing a new developer and / or a rinse solution using the solvent recovered by the separation and recovery method according to any one of claims 1 to 18.

21. A method for producing a printing plate, comprising: A step of irradiating a printing original plate with infrared light to form a pattern; a step of exposing the pattern to ultraviolet light by irradiating the printing plate on which the pattern has been formed; a step of removing the unexposed area in the exposing step using the aqueous developer according to claim 20; A method for manufacturing a printing plate, comprising:

22. A separation and recovery device that separates and recovers solvent components from waste developer generated when developing a flexographic printing plate, a waste liquid heating mechanism for heating the waste developer; an atomization chamber having an ultrasonic element that atomizes the developer waste liquid heated by the waste liquid heating mechanism to generate mist; a mist collection mechanism that collects the mist generated in the atomization chamber; A separation and recovery device comprising:

23. the atomization chamber has a storage space for storing the waste developer, the ultrasonic element provided in the storage space, and a mist collection port provided vertically above the storage space for supplying the mist generated in the storage space to the mist collection mechanism, The storage space is a substantially cylindrical space surrounded by a bottom wall and a side wall connected to the periphery of the bottom wall, An inclined wall is connected to the upper end of the side wall, and the inclined wall inclines vertically upward toward the center of the storage space in a plan view. The separation and recovery device according to claim 22 , wherein the mist recovery port is formed by an upper end of the inclined wall.

24. 24. The separation and recovery device according to claim 22 or 23, further comprising a mist sorting mechanism that sorts mist to be recovered by the mist recovery mechanism and mist to be re-condensed and returned to the waste developer based on a size and / or a mass of the mist generated in the atomization chamber.

25. 25. The separation and recovery device according to claim 22, wherein the mist sorting mechanism has at least one layer of a punching board provided between the liquid surface of the waste developer in the atomization chamber and the mist recovery port.

26. The separation and recovery device according to claim 25, wherein the diameter of the holes in the punching board is 2 mm or more and 8 mm or less.

27. The separation and recovery device according to any one of claims 22 to 26, further comprising an air heating mechanism that heats the air supplied into the atomization chamber.

28. The separation and recovery device according to claim 22 , further comprising a condensation mechanism that condenses the mist recovered by the mist recovery mechanism.

29. a storage chamber for storing the waste developer supplied from the outside; a pump and a pipe for supplying the waste developer from the storage chamber to the atomization chamber; a pipe for sending the overflowing developer waste liquid that has been supplied to the atomization chamber and atomized back to the storage chamber; 29. The separation and recovery device according to any one of claims 22 to 28, comprising:

30. 30. The separation and recovery apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the developer waste liquid contains a photosensitive resin having at least a polymer, a monomer, and an initiator.

31. 31. The separation and recovery device according to claim 22, wherein the developer waste liquid is an aqueous developer waste liquid generated by performing development using an aqueous developer containing at least a surfactant.

32. 32. The separation and recovery device according to claim 31, wherein the waste liquid heating mechanism heats the aqueous developer waste liquid in a stationary state to a temperature at which the aqueous developer waste liquid separates into two layers.

33. A separation and recovery device for separating and recovering a solvent component from an aqueous developer waste solution generated by developing a flexographic printing original plate using an aqueous developer containing at least a surfactant, a waste liquid heating mechanism for heating the aqueous developer waste liquid in a stationary state to a temperature at which the aqueous developer waste liquid separates into two layers;

34. the atomization chamber has a structure in which an upper space for storing the waste developer and a lower space in which an ultrasonic element is installed are separated, The separation and recovery device according to any one of claims 22 to 33, wherein a cooling fluid for cooling the ultrasonic element is stored in the lower space.

35. A system for developing a flexographic printing master plate having a photosensitive resin layer on a surface thereof, comprising: a developing device including: a transport unit that transports the original plate having an exposed portion and an unexposed portion formed in the photosensitive resin layer; a developer supply unit that supplies a developer to the original plate transported by the transport unit and placed in a development area; an unexposed portion removal unit that removes the unexposed portion by rubbing the surface of the original plate placed in the development area; and a rinse liquid supply unit that cleans the surface of the original plate by supplying a rinse liquid to the original plate transported by the transport unit and placed in a rinse area adjacent to the development area; The separation and recovery device according to any one of claims 22 to 34, The solvent recovered by the separation and recovery device is reused as part of the developer supplied from the developer supply unit and / or as part of the rinse liquid supplied from the rinse liquid supply unit.

36. 36. The development system of claim 35, which is a system for producing flexographic printing plates by developing the master.

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