Composition for the manufacture of flexographic printing plates
AssigneeM. A. Hanna Company
InventorsCarl David McAfee, Piseth Lov, David Thomas Hughes, Michael Wayne Chase
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A water processable photopolymeric composition for use in the manufacture of flexographic photopolymer printing plates is disclosed. Preferably, the flexomer blend includes a flexomer having an affinity for water combined with a hydrophilic crosslinking agent, a nonhydrophilic crosslinking agent, a swell enhancing filler, a hydrophilic plasticizer, a compatibilizer and a surfactant. The compatibilizer aids the blending of the hydrophilic components with the flexomer blend.
Claims21
A photopolymer composition capable of being processed in aqueous media to form a flexographic printing plate comprising:
- 1) a flexomer blend having at least one hydrophilic flexomer, which is a carboxylated acrylonitrile butadiene polymer, at least one crosslinking agent, and at least one photoinitiator, and 2) at least one compatible swell enhancing filler consisting of a compound different from said hydrophilic flexomer but which is compatible with said hydrophilic flexomer such that said compatible swell enhancing filler and said hydrophilic flexomer remain dispersed within one another, wherein said compatible swell enhancing filler increases the volume swell of said flexomer blend in the presence of water.
A photopolymer composition capable of being processed in aqueous media to form a flexographic printing plate comprising:
- 1) a flexomer blend having at least one hydrophilic flexomer, which is a carboxylated acrylonitrile butadiene polymer, at least one crosslinking agent, and at least one photoinitiator, and 2) at least one compatible swell enhancing component comprising a) a swell enhancing filler which is incompatible with said hydrophilic flexomer, and b) at least one compatibilizer having both hydrophilic and nonhydrophilic constituents so that said compatible swell enhancing component is compatible with said hydrophilic flexomer to the extent that said compatible swell enhancing component and said hydrophilic flexomer remain dispersed within one another, said compatibilizer reducing the haze of said photopolymer composition, wherein said swell enhancing filler increases the volume swell of said flexomer blend in the presence of water.
A photopolymer composition capable of being processed in aqueous media to form a flexographic printing plate comprising:
- 1) a flexomer blend having at least one hydrophilic flexomer, at least one crosslinking agent, and at least one photoinitiator, and 2) at least one compatible swell enhancing component comprising a) a swell enhancing filler which is polyethylene oxide, and b) at least one compatibilizer having both hydrophilic and nonhydrophilic constituents so that said compatible swell enhancing component is compatible with said hydrophilic flexomer to the extent that said compatible swell enhancing component and said hydrophilic flexomer remain dispersed within one another, said compatibilizer reducing the haze of said photopolymer composition, wherein said swell enhancing filler increases the volume swell of said flexomer blend in the presence of water.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.