Negative-working thermal imageable elements
AssigneeEastman Kodak Company
InventorsMathias Jarek, Domenico Balbinot
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Abstract
Negative-working imageable elements have a hydrophilic substrate and a single thermally-sensitive imageable layer. This layer can include an infrared radiation absorbing compound and polymeric particles that coalesce upon thermal imaging. These coalesceable polymeric particles comprise a thermoplastic polymer and a colorant to provide improved visible contrast between exposed and non-exposed regions in the imaged element, such as lithographic printing plates.
Claims15
An imageable element comprising a hydrophilic substrate, and having thereon a single thermally-sensitive imageable layer comprising polymeric particles that coalesce upon thermal imaging, and optionally an infrared radiation absorbing compound,
- wherein said polymeric particles comprise a thermoplastic polymer and a colorant, and the polymeric particles are polymeric core-shell particles having a hydrophilic shell and at least 50 weight % of all colorants that are in the single thermally-sensitive imageable layer are in the polymeric particles,
- wherein said thermoplastic polymer has a glass transition temperature greater than 40° C., and wherein said colorant is covalently bonded to the backbone of said thermoplastic polymer or is a part of said backbone.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.