Hydrogen-Bonded Image Layers for UV-Durable Lithographic Printing Plates
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lithographic printing technologies face challenges in achieving excellent printing durability when using ultraviolet curable ink, and there is a need to simplify the development process to address environmental concerns associated with wet treatments.
Innovation Solution
A lithographic printing plate precursor is developed with an image recording layer containing organic particles made of an addition polymerization type resin, where the constitutional unit with a hydrogen bond-donating site exceeds 20% by mass, enhancing the hardness and strength of the image area, allowing for excellent printing durability and scratch resistance, particularly when using UV ink.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional development treatments are used to prepare lithographic printing plates, then printing durability can be achieved, but environmental problems arise due to waste liquid generation from wet treatments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the development treatment step from the conventional plate-making process. By using a photosensitive resin layer that directly forms the image area through UV exposure, the unnecessary wet development process is removed, thereby eliminating waste liquid generation while maintaining printing durability
Solution Approach 2:
The photosensitive resin layer performs self-development through UV exposure. The resin automatically forms the image area pattern when exposed to UV light, eliminating the need for external chemical development treatments and associated waste liquid disposal
2Object-generated harmful factors
If on-press development is implemented to simplify the process, then environmental impact is reduced, but printing durability with UV ink is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the image recording layer by incorporating specific polymers with hydrogen bond-donating sites and appropriate molecular weights. This modification enables the layer to provide both scratch resistance and printing durability while being compatible with on-press development
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite material structures combining multiple polymer components with specific functions: polymers with hydrogen bond-donating sites for scratch resistance, polymers with carboxyl groups for etching resistance, and polymers with vinyl groups for UV curing. This composite approach achieves superior printing durability while enabling simplified on-press development
3Ease of manufacture
If the image recording layer uses standard polymer materials, then the layer is easy to manufacture, but scratch resistance and printing durability are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies polymer parameters including molecular weight (100-1,000,000), hydrogen bond-donating site content (>20% by mass), and specific functional group compositions. These parameter changes enhance scratch resistance and printing durability while maintaining manufacturability through standard polymer synthesis methods
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The lithographic printing plate precursor achieves enhanced printing durability and scratch resistance even with UV ink, while enabling on-press development to reduce environmental impact by minimizing wet treatment processes.
Implementation Method 1
an addition polymerization type resin having a constitutional unit A having a hydrogen bond-donating site
Implementation Method 2
the image recording layer contains an infrared absorbing agent, a polymerization initiator, a polymerizable compound
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a lithographic printing plate precursor including a support, and an image recording layer on the support, in which the image recording layer contains organic particles containing an addition polymerization type resin that has a constitutional unit A having a hydrogen bond-donating site, and a content of the constitutional unit A in the addition polymerization type resin is greater than 20% by mass with respect to a total mass of the addition polymerization type resin; and a method of preparing a lithographic printing plate using the lithographic printing plate precursor.