# US 9,573,404 B2 · Manufacturing method and manufacturing apparatus of support for planographic printing plate > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,573,404 B2 - Document ID: US9573404B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/661,623 - Filed: 2012-10-26 - Published: 2013-05-02 - Granted: 2017-02-21 - Earliest claimed: 2011-10-28 - Assignees: FUJIFILM Corporation - Applicants: FUJIFILM Corporation - Inventors: Yuichi Kasuya; Hisashi Hotta - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9573404B2 ## CPC - B41N 3/03: Chemical or electrical pretreatment - B41N 3/034: {characterised by the electrochemical treatment of the aluminum support, e.g. anodisation, electro-graining; Sealing of the anodised layer; Treatment of the anodic layer with inorganic compounds; Colouring of the anodic layer} - C23G 1/22: Light metals - C23G 1/36: Regeneration of waste pickling liquors - C23G 3/023: {by spraying} - C23G 3/027: {Associated apparatus, e.g. for pretreating or after-treating} - C23G 3/028: {for thermal or mechanical pretreatment} - C23G 3/029: {for removing the pickling fluid from the objects} - C25D 11/005: {Apparatus specially adapted for electrolytic conversion coating (apparatus in general for electrolytic coating C25D17/00)} - C25D 11/08: containing inorganic acids - C25D 11/16: Pretreatment {, e.g. desmutting} - C25D 21/06: Filtering {particles other than ions (filtering ions C25D21/22)} - C25D 21/18: of electrolytes (C25D21/22 takes precedence) - C25F 3/04: of light metals - 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 - C23G: CLEANING OR DE-GREASING OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY CHEMICAL METHODS OTHER THAN ELECTROLYSIS - C25D: PROCESSES FOR THE ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PRODUCTION OF COATINGS; ELECTROFORMING; APPARATUS THEREFOR - C25F: PROCESSES FOR THE ELECTROLYTIC REMOVAL OF MATERIALS FROM OBJECTS; APPARATUS THEREFOR ## Abstract A manufacturing method of a support for a planographic printing plate including at least an alkaline etching step of dissolving an aluminum surface layer of an aluminum web with an alkaline solution during a surface roughening treatment on a surface of the aluminum web continuously traveling, the manufacturing method comprising: a circulating step of cyclically using the alkaline solution between a treatment tank for the etching and an alkaline solution reservoir during adjusting composition concentration of the alkaline solution; and a filtering step of filtering the alkaline solution cyclically used so as to remove solid matter in the alkaline solution. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A manufacturing method of a support for a planographic printing plate including at least an alkaline etching step of dissolving an aluminum surface layer of an aluminum web with an alkaline solution during a surface roughening treatment on a surface of the aluminum web continuously traveling, the manufacturing method comprising: a circulating step of cyclically using the alkaline solution between a treatment tank for the etching and an alkaline solution reservoir during adjusting composition concentration of the alkaline solution; and a filtering step of filtering the alkaline solution cyclically used so as to remove solid matter in the alkaline solution, wherein in the filtering step, abrasive is added as a filter aid in the alkaline solution to be filtered, and wherein the manufacturing method further comprises a step of performing mechanical surface roughening on the surface of the aluminum web with the abrasive before the alkaline etching step, and used abrasive generated in the mechanical surface roughening step are used in the filtering step. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The manufacturing method of a support for a planographic printing plate according to claim 1, wherein in the filtering step, the filtering is carried out by using a filter membrane having a pore size of 1 to 30 μm. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The manufacturing method of a support for a planographic printing plate according to claim 2, wherein the filtering step comprises: a separating step of separating the solid matter from the filter membrane by backwashing the filter membrane; a deliquoring step of deliquoring the alkaline solution from the separated solid matter; and a returning step of returning the alkaline solution separated in the deliquoring step to the alkaline solution reservoir to recycle the alkaline solution. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The manufacturing method of a support for a planographic printing plate according to claim 1, further comprising: a solid matter concentration measuring step of measuring solid matter concentration of the alkaline solution cyclically used; and a control step of controlling solid matter content of the alkaline solution to be 100 ppm or less based on the measured solid matter concentration. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The manufacturing method of a support for a planographic printing plate according to claim 1, wherein in the filtering step, the filtering is carried out at more than one filtering stage if the solid matter concentration is in a range from 200 to 1500 ppm. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The manufacturing method of a support for a planographic printing plate according to claim 1, wherein as aluminum purity of an aluminum material used as the aluminum web becomes lower, more solid matter is removed in the filtering step. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The manufacturing method of a support for a planographic printing plate according to claim 1, wherein the aluminum web is made of low purity aluminum having an aluminum purity of 99.0% or less. ### Claim 8 A manufacturing method of a support for a planographic printing plate, comprising a surface roughening step for roughening at least one surface of an aluminum web continuously traveling, the surface roughening step comprising: an alkaline etching step of etching the aluminum web by bringing the aluminum web into contact with an alkaline solution; and an electrolytic surface roughening step of electrochemically roughening the etched aluminum web in an acid electrolytic solution, the method further comprising an anode oxidation treatment step for performing an anode oxidation treatment on the aluminum web of which surface is roughened in the electrolytic surface roughening step in an acid solution, so as to form an anode oxidation film on the aluminum web, the electrolytic surface roughening step including: a circulation step for cyclically using the acid electrolytic solution between an electrolyzer and an electrolytic solution reservoir during adjusting composition concentration of the acid electrolytic solution; and a filtering step of filtering the acid electrolytic solution cyclically used so as to remove solid matter in the acid electrolytic solution, and/or the anode oxidation treatment step including: a circulation step for cyclically using the acid solution between a feeding tank and an acid solution reservoir, and between an electrolytic treatment tank and the acid solution reservoir during adjusting composition concentration of the acid solution; and a filtering step of filtering the acid solution cyclically used, so as to remove solid matter in the acid solution, wherein in the filtering step, abrasive is added as a filter aid in the alkaline solution to be filtered, wherein the manufacturing method further comprises a step of performing mechanical surface roughening on the surface of the aluminum web with the abrasive before the alkaline etching step, and used abrasive generated in the mechanical surface roughening step are used in the filtering step. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The manufacturing method of a support for a planographic printing plate according to claim 8, wherein the solid matter is removed through a filter membrane having a pore size of 1 μm to 10 μm in the filtering step of the electrolytic surface roughening step and/or in the filtering step of the anode oxidation treatment step. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The manufacturing method of a support for a planographic printing plate according to claim 8, wherein the anode oxidation treatment step further includes a copper ion removal step of reducing copper ion concentration in the acid solution by collecting copper ions from the acid solution in the electrolytic treatment tank. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The manufacturing method of a support for a planographic printing plate according to claim 8, wherein the filtering step of the electrolytic surface roughening step further includes: a measuring step of measuring solid matter concentration of the acid electrolytic solution cyclically used; and a controlling step of ON-OFF controlling the filtering step so as to maintain solid matter content of the acid electrolytic solution at 20 ppm or less based on the measured solid matter concentration. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The manufacturing method of a support for a planographic printing plate according to claim 8, wherein the filtering step of the anode oxidation treatment step further includes: a measuring step of measuring solid matter concentration of the acid solution cyclically used; and a controlling step of ON-OFF controlling the filtering step so as to maintain solid matter content of the acid solution at 20 ppm or less based on the measured solid matter concentration. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The manufacturing method of a support for a planographic printing plate according to claim 8, wherein as aluminum purity of an aluminum material used as the aluminum web becomes lower, more solid matter is removed in the filtering step of the electrolytic surface roughening step and in the filtering step of the anode oxidation treatment step. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The manufacturing method of a support for a planographic printing plate according to claim 8, wherein the aluminum web is made of aluminum having aluminum purity of 99.0% or less.