Star-Shaped Polymer Lithographic Printing Plate Precursor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current lithographic printing plate precursors face challenges in achieving both good development properties and high printing durability, particularly in reducing waste liquid discharge associated with wet treatment processes, and require improvements in handling under various light conditions.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a polymer compound with a star-like shape, having a main chain branched to three or more branches with hydrophilic side chains, into the image-recording layer, along with thermoplastic polymer fine particles and an infrared absorbing agent, to enhance dispersion and crosslinking capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional thermoplastic polymer fine particles are used in the image-recording layer, then the structure is simple and ease of manufacture is good, but the development property and printing durability are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses a composite polymer system combining thermoplastic polymer fine particles with star-shaped polymer compounds. The thermoplastic polymer provides structural integrity and printing durability, while the star-shaped polymer with multiple branches and hydrophilic groups enhances development properties by facilitating uniform chemical interaction during development processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The star-shaped polymer compound introduces localized functional groups at the branch ends, creating regions of enhanced reactivity and hydrophilicity. This local quality improvement allows specific areas of the polymer structure to interact preferentially with developer solutions, improving development uniformity without compromising the overall structural integrity provided by the thermoplastic polymer matrix.
2Reliability
If wet treatment development processing is used, then good development property can be achieved, but waste liquid discharge increases causing environmental problems
Solution Approach 1:
The invention converts the traditionally harmful high-alkalinity developer into a near-neutral pH gum solution or finisher. The star-shaped polymer's multiple hydrophilic groups enable effective development at neutral pH by providing sufficient chemical interaction sites, thereby eliminating the environmental harm of alkaline waste liquid while maintaining good development properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the pH parameter of the developer from high alkalinity (traditional) to near-neutral (innovative). This parameter change, enabled by the enhanced reactivity of the star-shaped polymer structure, allows development to proceed effectively under milder, environmentally friendly conditions that produce minimal harmful waste liquid.
3Ease of operation
If semiconductor laser or solid laser is used as light source for CTP technology, then workability in bright room is improved, but the image-forming property and printing durability are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The invention combines thermoplastic polymer fine particles with star-shaped polymer compounds to create a composite image-recording layer. This composite structure enables the system to simultaneously achieve good sensitivity to infrared laser exposure (enabling bright room operation) and high printing durability through the thermoplastic polymer's structural integrity and crosslinking capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The star-shaped polymer introduces localized functional groups that enhance the response to laser exposure while maintaining overall structural stability. The multiple branches with hydrophilic groups create localized reaction zones that improve image formation efficiency during CTP processing, enabling durable images to be formed under bright room conditions with infrared or solid lasers.
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
This approach improves the development properties and printing durability of lithographic printing plates, allowing for efficient on-press development and gum development without the need for high alkaline developers, while reducing environmental impact and enabling handling in bright rooms.
Implementation Method 1
an image-recording layer containing a thermoplastic polymer fine particle, an infrared absorbing agent and a polymer compound
Implementation Method 2
a semiconductor laser emitting an infrared ray having a wavelength from 760 to 1,200 or a solid laser, for example, YAG laser
Implementation Method 3
the polymer compound has a star-like shape in which a main chain is branched to three or more branches and the branched main chains have a hydrophilic group in a side chain
Implementation Method 4
a thermoplastic polymer fine particle
Implementation Method 5
the polymer compound has a star-like shape in which a main chain is branched to three or more branches
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
A lithographic printing plate precursor includes: an image-recording layer containing a thermoplastic polymer fine particle, an infrared absorbing agent and a polymer compound; and a support having a hydrophilic surface, and the polymer compound has a star-like shape in which a main chain is branched to three or more branches and the branched main chains have a hydrophilic group in a side chain of the branched main chain.