Patent ID: 6368777
Filing Date: 2002-04-09
Classification: B41C

Abstract:
A finishing solution for application to a thermally sensitive printing plate having an imaging layer comprising a radiation sensitive coating including particles which are required at least partially to coalesce to form an image, the coating including a disperse phase and a continuous phase, said finishing solution comprising a coalescing aid which comprises a solvent or mixture of solvents having solubility characteristics which facilitate softening or solubilization of both said disperse phase and said continuous phase, at least one of the Hansen solubility parameters of said coalescing aid falling within the ranges &dgr;d (dispersion)=7.0-9.8, &dgr;p (polar)=1.5-8.8 and &dgr;h (hydrogen bonding)=1.7-5.2, and said solvent or mixture of solvents includes a ketone comprising &ggr;-butyrolactone or isophorone.