Pressure-sensitive adhesive for bonding printing plates

A pressure sensitive adhesive tape comprising:

• a carrier layer;
• and
• an adhesive layer on the carrier layer, the adhesive layer comprising a pressure-sensitive adhesive, the pressure-sensitive adhesive comprising:
• a pressure-sensitive adhesive for bonding printing plates, comprising one or more copolymers in a combined mass fraction of 30% or more, based on the mass of the pressure-sensitive adhesive,
• where the one or more copolymers are prepared by polymerizing a monomer composition, where the monomer composition, based on the mass of the monomer composition, comprises:
• i) one or more first monomers in a combined mass fraction in the range from 5% to 15%, where the one or more first monomers are selected from the group consisting of compounds of the formula I)
• CH2═CR1—C(O)NR2R3, I)
• where R1 is hydrogen or a methyl group,
• where R2 is selected from the group consisting of alkyl groups, hydroxyalkyl groups and acetonyl groups and where R3 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl groups, hydroxyalkyl groups, aryl groups, aminoalkyl groups and acetonyl groups, or where R2 and R3 together form an organic compound chain, so that NR2R3 is a ring having n ring atoms, where n is in the range from 5 to 8,
• ii) one or more second monomers in a combined mass fraction of 70% or more, where the second monomers are selected from the group consisting of compounds of the formula II)
• CH2═CR4—C(O)O—R5, II)
• where R4 is hydrogen or a methyl group,
• where R5 is selected from the group consisting of alkyl groups and aryl groups, and
• iii) one or more third monomers in a combined mass fraction in the range from 5% to 15%, where the third monomers are selected from the group consisting of compounds of the formula III)
• CH2═CR6—C(O)O—R7, III)
• where R6 is hydrogen or a methyl group,
• where R7 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and hydroxyalkyl groups having 2 to 4 carbon atoms.

A method of flexographic printing comprising:

• securing a flexible printing plate on a printing cylinder or a printing sleeve with a pressure-sensitive adhesive tape, the pressure-sensitive adhesive tape comprising a pressure-sensitive adhesive,
• conducting a printing operation with the flexible printing plate secured onto the printing cylinder or the printing sleeve and with ink that comprises cellulose nitrate or titanium chelate, and
• removing the flexible printing plate from the printing cylinder or the printing sleeve,
• wherein
• the pressure-sensitive adhesive comprises one or more copolymers in a combined mass fraction of 30% or more, based on a mass of the pressure-sensitive adhesive,
• the one or more copolymers are prepared by polymerizing a monomer composition,
• the monomer composition, based on a mass of the monomer composition, comprises:
• i) one or more first monomers in a combined mass fraction in the range from 5% to 15%, where the one or more first monomers are selected from the group consisting of compounds of the formula I)
• CH2═CR1—C(O)NR2R3, I)
• where R1 is hydrogen or a methyl group,
• where R2 is selected from the group consisting of alkyl groups, hydroxyalkyl groups and acetonyl groups and where R3 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl groups, hydroxyalkyl groups, aryl groups, aminoalkyl groups and acetonyl groups, or where R2 and R3 together form an organic compound chain, so that NR2R3 is a ring having n ring atoms, where n is in the range from 5 to 8,
• ii) one or more second monomers in a combined mass fraction of 70% or more, where the one or more second monomers are selected from the group consisting of compounds of the formula II)
• CH2═CR4—C(O)O—R5, II)
• where R4 is hydrogen or a methyl group,
• where R5 is selected from the group consisting of alkyl groups and aryl groups, and
• iii) one or more third monomers in a combined mass fraction in the range from 5% to 15%, where the one or more third monomers are selected from the group consisting of compounds of the formula III)
• CH2═CR6—C(O)O—R7, III)
• where R6 is hydrogen or a methyl group,
• where R7 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and hydroxyalkyl groups having 2 to 4 carbon atoms.