Patent ID: 6844142
Filing Date: 2005-01-18
Classification: B41C,G03F,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A process for the production of flexographic printing plates by thermal development, in which the starting material used is a photopolymerizable flexographic printing element which at least comprises, arranged one on top of the other, a dimensionally stable substrate, at least one photopolymerizable relief-forming layer, at least comprising an elastomeric binder, ethylenically unsaturated monomers and a photoinitiator, the process comprising at least the following steps: (a) imagewise exposure of the photopolymerizable relief-forming layer by means of actinic radiation, (b) heating of the exposed flexographic printing element to a temperature of from 40 to 200° C., (c) removal of the softened, unpolymerized parts of the relief-forming layer with formation of a printing relief, wherein the elastomeric binder is an olefin/(meth)acrylate copolymer having an olefin content of from 50 to 94 mol %, based on the total amount of all monomers incorporated in the form of polymerized units.