Flexographic printing precursors and methods of making
OwnerOphira Melamed, Ido Gal +1inventors
InventorsOphira Melamed, Ido Gal, Limor Dahan
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Abstract
A mixture of a high molecular weight EPDM rubber with a low molecular weight (liquid) EPDM rubber provides a highly useful laser-ablatable flexographic printing plate precursor formulation. This formulation is sensitive to infrared radiation by the incorporation of an IR absorbing compound such as a carbon black. The inclusion of the liquid EPDM rubber avoids the need for plasticizers such as process oils during manufacturing, and provides improved image sensitivity, print quality, and run length. Both flexographic printing plates and printing sleeves can be made using the mixture of EPDM rubbers.
Claims31
An infrared radiation ablatable flexographic printing precursor that comprises an infrared radiation ablatable layer comprising a mixture of a high molecular weight ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer (EPDM) rubber and a low molecular weight EPDM rubber.
An infrared radiation ablatable flexographic printing precursor comprises an infrared radiation ablatable layer comprising from about 1 to about 20 weight % of a conductive carbon black having a dibutyl phthalate (DBP) adsorption of less than 110, and a mixture of a high molecular weight ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer (EPDM) rubber and a low molecular weight EPDM rubber, wherein the weight ratio of the high molecular weight EPDM to the low molecular weight EPDM rubber is from about 3:1 to about 5:1.
An infrared radiation ablatable flexographic printing precursor comprises an infrared radiation ablatable layer comprising one or more inorganic fillers, a carbon black, and a mixture of a high molecular weight ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer (EPDM) rubber and a low molecular weight EPDM rubber, wherein the weight ratio of the high molecular weight EPDM to the low molecular weight EPDM rubber is from about 2:1 to about 10:1.
An infrared radiation ablatable flexographic printing precursor comprises an infrared radiation ablatable layer comprising:
- from about 10 to about 35 weight % of one or more inorganic fillers and from about 1 to about 20 weight % of a carbon black, wherein the weight ratio of the carbon black to the inorganic filler(s) is from about 1:50 to about 1:1.5, and a mixture of a high molecular weight ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer (EPDM) rubber and a low molecular weight EPDM rubber, wherein the weight ratio of the high molecular weight EPDM to the low molecular weight EPDM rubber is from about 2:1 to about 10:1.
-26. (canceled)
An infrared radiation ablatable flexographic printing precursor comprises an infrared radiation ablatable layer comprising a carbon black, one or more inorganic fillers, and one or more elastomers, wherein the weight ratio of the carbon black to the inorganic filler(s) is from about 1:50 to about 1:1.5.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.