Patent ID: 6312866
Filing Date: 2001-11-06
Classification: B41C,B41M

Abstract:
A radiation sensitive plate, imageable by exposure to thermal radiation, which comprises a substrate coated with:(i) an imaging layer which comprises (1) a disperse phase comprising a water insoluble heat softenable component (A) and (2) a binder or continuous phase consisting of a component (B) which is soluble or swellable in aqueous medium;(ii) a substance (C) capable of strongly absorbing radiation and transferring the energy thus obtained as heat to the disperse phase so that at least partial coalescence of the coating occurs, said substance being contained either within the imaging layer (i) or in a separate layer; and(iii) a topmost covering layer having, at the chosen wavelength of exposure, an optical density which is lower than that of the imaging layer (i), said covering layer comprising at least one of the following:(1) a disperse phase comprising a water-insoluble heat softenable component (D) and a binder or continuous phase consisting of a component (E) which is soluble or swellable in aqueous medium;(2) a polymer resin (F) which is soluble in aqueous medium; or(3) a polymer resin (G) which is dispersible in aqueous or alcoholic medium, but insoluble in aqueous alkaline medium,wherein component (A) and/or component (D) comprises one or more oleophilic polymers or oligomers, at least one of which contains reactive groupings or precursors.