# US 4,399,243 A · Cleaner and scratch remover composition > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 4,399,243 A - Document ID: US4399243A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 06/215,816 - Filed: 1980-12-12 - Granted: 1983-08-16 - Earliest claimed: 1980-12-12 - Assignees: Richardson Graphics Company - Inventors: Sunit S. Dixit; Daniel C. Thomas - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4399243A ## CPC - B41C 1/10: for lithographic printing; Master sheets for transferring a lithographic image to the forme {(chemical or electrical pretreatment B41N3/03)}(neutralising or similar differentiation treatments of lithographic printing formes B41N3/08) - B41N 3/08: Damping; Neutralising or similar differentiation treatments for lithographic printing formes; {Gumming or finishing solutions, fountain solutions, correction or deletion fluids, or on-press development (treatment of materials containing silver salts G03F7/063; developers per se for processing photosensitive materials G03F7/32)} - Y10S 430/15: Lithographic emulsion - B41C: PROCESSES FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR REPRODUCTION OF PRINTING SURFACES (photomechanical processes for producing printing surfaces G03F; photoelectrical processes for producing printing surfaces G03G) - B41N: PRINTING PLATES OR FOILS (photosensitive material G03); MATERIALS FOR SURFACES USED IN PRINTING MACHINES FOR PRINTING, INKING, DAMPING, OR THE LIKE; PREPARING SUCH SURFACES FOR USE AND CONSERVING THEM - Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS ## Abstract A composition is provided which cleans, conditions, removes scratches, and finishes lithographic plates, the composition being an emulsion of an aqueous phase in an oil phase, the oil phase including a highly penetrating solvent such as mineral spirits, an oleophilic acid, and an emulsifying surfactant such as a non-ionic benzene sulfonate, while the aqueous phase includes a hydrophilic synthetic desensitizer such as a modified polyacrylamide, a gum desensitizer, a desensitizing agent such as phosphoric acid or derivatives thereof, a nitrate salt, and water. These compositions perform as plate cleaners, conditioners and scratch removers when put to use in the press room, and also are typically suitable for use as finishers for exposed and developed plates within the plate making room. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A multifunctional cleaner, scratch remover, conditioner and finisher composition for treating imaged and developed lithographic plates, said composition being an emulsion of an oil phase and an aqueous phase comprising a water-in-oil emulsion including: an oil phase including between about 13 and 17 weight percent of a highly penetrating solvent selected from the group consisting of mineral spirits, kerosene and lithotene, between about 5 and 10 weight percent of an oleophilic acid, between about 4 and 20 weight percent of an emulsifying surfactant, all based on the total weight of the emulsion composition; and an aqueous phase including between about 0.05 and 0.5 weight percent of a hydrophilic synthetic resin desensitizer, between about 10 and 28 weight percent of a gum desensitizer, between about 0.1 and 2.5 weight percent of a desensitizing agent of phosphoric acid or derivatives thereof, between about 0.2 and 7 weight percent of an alkaline nitrate salt, and between about 32 and 45 weight percent water, all based upon the total weight of the emulsion composition. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The multifunctional composition of claim 1, wherein said aqueous phase further includes between about 1 and 20 weight percent of a polyol emulsion stabilizer, based upon the total weight of the emulsion composition. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The multifunctional composition of claim 1, wherein said emulsion includes between about 13 and 17 weight percent of the highly penetrating solvent, between about 5 and 10 weight percent of said oleophilic acid, between about 5 and 15 weight percent of the emulsifying surfactant, between about 0.1 and 0.3 weight percent of synthetic resin desensitizer, between about 12 and 25 weight percent of the gum desensitizer, between about 0.2 and 2 weight percent of the phosphoric desensitizing agent, between about 0.5 and 5 weight percent of the nitrate salt, and between about 32 and 45 weight percent water. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The multifunctional composition of claim 1, wherein said emulsion includes between about 13 and 17 weight percent of the highly penetrating solvent, between about 7 and 8 weight percent of said oleophilic acid, between about 8 and 12 weight percent of the emulsifying surfactant, between about 0.15 and 0.25 weight percent of the synthetic resin desensitizer, between about 17 and 23 weight percent of the gum desensitizer, between about 0.5 and 1.5 weight percent of the phosphoric desensitizing agent, between about 1 and 3 weight percent of the nitrate salt, and between about 38 and 42 weight percent water. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The multifunctional composition of claim 1, wherein said highly penetrating solvent is mineral spirits. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The multifunctional composition of claim 1, wherein said emulsifying surfactant is a non-ionic surfactant. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The multifunctional composition of claim 1, wherein said emulsifying surfactant is an alkyl substituted benzene sulfonate. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The multifunctional composition of claim 1, wherein said emulsifying surfactant is isopropylamine dodecyl sulfonate. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The multifunctional composition of claim 1, wherein said hydrophilic synthetic resin desensitizer is selected from the group consisting of modified polyacrylamides, hydrolyzed styrene-maleic anhydride copolymers, and hydrolyzed vinyl ether-maleic anhydride copolymers. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The multifunctional composition of claim 1, wherein said hydrophilic synthetic resin desensitizer is a modified polyacrylamide having approximately 70 percent of the acrylamide groups hydrolyzed to acrylic acid groups. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The multifunctional composition of claim 1, wherein said hydrophilic synthetic resin desensitizer is a 70/30 copolymer of sodium acrylate and acrylamide. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The multifunctional composition of claim 1, wherein said gum desensitizer is gum arabic. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The multifunctional composition of claim 1, wherein said desensitizing agent is phosphoric acid. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The multifunctional composition of claim 1, wherein said scratch eliminator is magnesium nitrate or potassium nitrate. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The multifunctional composition of claim 1, wherein said scratch eliminator is magnesium nitrate. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The multifunctional composition of claim 1, wherein said emulsion composition has a pH of between about 1.70 and 2.20. ### Claim 17 (depends on 2) The multifunctional composition of claim 2, wherein said emulsion includes between about 2 and 10 weight percent of said polyol, based on the total weight of the emulsion composition. ### Claim 18 (depends on 2) The multifunctional composition of claim 2, wherein said emulsion includes between about 2.5 and 7.5 weight percent of said polyol, based on the total weight of the emulsion composition. ### Claim 19 (depends on 2) The multifunctional composition of claim 2, wherein said polyol is a polyglycol. ### Claim 20 (depends on 2) The multifunctional composition of claim 2, wherein said polyol is glycerine. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The multifunctional composition of claim 1, wherein said emulsifying surfactant is an isoactyl phenoxy phenylethoxy ethanol. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The multifunctional composition of claim 1, wherein said oleophilic acid is oleic acid or stearic acid. ### Claim 23 (depends on 1) The multifunctional composition of claim 1, wherein said oleophilic acid is oleic acid. ### Claim 24 A multifunctional cleaner, scratch remover, conditioner and finisher composition for treating imaged and developed lithographic plates, said composition comprising a water-in-oil emulsion including, in admixture: an oil phase including between about 13 and 17 weight percent of mineral spirits, between about 5 and 10 weight percent of oleic acid, and between about 5 and 15 weight percent of an alkyl substituted benzene sulfonate surfactant; and an aqueous phase including between about 0.1 and 0.5 weight percent of a modified polyacrylamide hydrophilic synthetic resin desensitizer, between about 12 and 25 weight percent of a natural gum desensitizer, between about 0.2 and 2 weight percent of phosphoric acid, between about 0.5 and 5 weight percent of an alkaline nitrate salt, and between about 32 and 45 weight percent of water, all percentages being based on the total weight of the emulsion composition. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The multifunctional composition of claim 24, wherein said emulsion includes between about 13 and 17 weight percent of said mineral spirits, between about 7 and 8 weight percent of said oleic acid, between about 8 and 12 weight percent of said surfactant, between about 0.15 and 0.3 weight percent of said modified polyacrylamide, between about 17 and 23 weight percent of said natural gum, between about 0.5 and 1.5 weight percent of said phosphoric acid, between about 1 and 3 weight percent of said nitrate salt, and between about 38 and 42 weight percent of said water, all based on the total weight of the emulsion composition. ### Claim 26 A method of providing a composition for cleaning, removing scratches and conditioning imaged, developed and inked lithographic plates while simultaneously providing a composition for finishing and conditioning imaged and developed lithographic plates, comprising a water-in-oil emulsion including: preparing an oil phase including between about 13 and 17 weight percent of a highly penetrating solvent selected from the group consisting of mineral spirits, kerosene and lithotene, between about 5 and 10 weight percent of an oleophilic acid, and between about 4 and 20 weight percent of an emulsifying surfactant, all based on the total weight of the composition; preparing an aqueous phase including between about 0.05 and 0.5 weight percent of a hydrophilic synthetic resin desensitizer, between about 10 and 28 weight percent of a gum desensitizer, between about 0.1 and 2.5 weight percent of a desensitizing agent of phosphoric acid or derivatives thereof, between about 0.2 and 7 weight percent of an alkaline nitrate salt, and between about 32 and 45 weight percent water, all based on the total weight of the composition; and forming a water-in-oil emulsion composition from said oil phase and said aqueous phase.