Abstract: There is provided a negative type image recording material that allows direct-plate making from digital data using an infrared laser and a method of plate-making using this negative type image recording material. The negative type image recording material comprises a compound (A) which is cross-linked with the aid of an acid, a binder polymer (B), a compound (C) which generates an acid upon heating, and (D) an infrared ray absorbing agent. The compound (A) which is cross-linked with the aid of an acid is a mixture of a lower molecular weight phenol derivative represented by the following general formula (I) with a polynuclear phenol cross-linking agent and/or resol resin. In the formula, Ar1 represents an aromatic hydrocarbon ring, R1, R2 and R3 represent a hydrogen atom or a hydrocarbon group having 12 or less carbon atoms, respectively, m represents an integer of 2 to 4, and n represents an integer of 1 to 3.

Abstract: According to the present invention there is provided a heat-sensitive imaging element for providing a lithographic printing plate, comprising a lithographic support with a hydrophilic surface and a top layer wherein said top layer or a layer adjacent to said top layer comprises a compound capable of converting light into heat, characterized in that said top layer further comprises a polymer containing aryldiazosulphonate units.

Abstract: A plate precursor for a lithographic printing plate requiring no development, which comprises a surface formed of a solid material of an inorganic compound comprising at least two kinds of elements selected from groups 13, 14 and 15 of the periodic table; a method for making a lithographic printing plate using the same; and a novel plate precursor for a lithographic printing plate in which an image can be formed and deleted.

Abstract: According to the present invention there is provided a heat-sensitive imaging element for providing a lithographic printing late, comprising a lithographic base with a hydrophobic oleophilic surface and a top layer comprising a compound capable of converting light into heat and a hydrophilic polymer, characterized in that said hydrophilic polymer is crosslinked.

Abstract: According to the present invention there is provided a method for making driographic printing plates comprising the image-wise exposure of a heat-sensitive recording material comprising on an ink-accepting support an image-forming layer containing hydrophobic thermoplastic polymer particles and a compound capable of converting light into heat, said compound being present in said image-forming layer or a layer adjacent thereto and a cured ink-repellant surface layer. After the exposure the printing plate is developed by wiping it with water or an aqueous solution before or after mounting it on the print cylinder of a printing press.

Abstract: A directly imageable waterless planographic printing plate precursor is a laminate of, in turn, at least a heat sensitive layer and a silicon rubber layer on a substrate. The heat sensitive layer includes (A) a light-to-heat converting material and (B) a compound which contains N—N bonds.

Abstract: An imaging member, such as a negative-working printing plate, can be prepared using a hydrophilic heat-sensitive imaging layer comprised of a hydrophilic heat-sensitive, crosslinked vinyl polymer containing recurring organoonium groups. The imaging member can also include a photothermal conversion material such as carbon black or an infrared radiation absorbing dye. The heat-sensitive polymer has recurring units containing an organoammonium, organophosphonium or organosulfonium group that reacts to provide increased oleophilicity (ink receptivity) in response to heat. Heat is preferably generated by laser irradiation in the IR region of the electromagnetic spectrum. The heat-sensitive polymer is considered “switchable” in response to heat. The imaging member can be used in printing methods without the usual wet processing steps.

Abstract: An imaging member, such as a negative-working printing plate, can be prepared using a hydrophilic imaging layer comprised of a heat-sensitive hydrophilic polymer having a positively charged moiety, and optionally a photothermal conversion material. The heat-sensitive polymer has recurring units containing an N-alkylated aromatic heterocyclic group or an organoonium group that reacts to provide increased oleophilicity in areas exposed to energy that provides or generates heat. For example, heat can be supplied by laser irradiation in the IR region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Thus, the heat-sensitive polymer is considered “switchable” in response to heat, and provides an imaging means without wet processing.

Abstract: An improved method and apparatus for coating semiconductor substrates with organic photoresist polymers by extruding a ribbon of photoresist in a spiral pattern which covers the entire top surface of the wafer. The invention provides a more uniform photoresist layer and is much more efficient than are current methods in the use of expensive photoresist solutions. A wafer is mounted on a chuck, aligned horizontally and oriented upward. An extrusion head is positioned adjacent to the outer edge of the wafer and above the top surface of the wafer with an extrusion slot aligned radially with respect to the wafer. The wafer is rotated and the extrusion head moved radially toward the center of the wafer while photoresist is extruded out the extrusion slot. The rotation rate of the wafer and the radial speed of the extrusion head are controlled so that the tangential velocity of the extrusion head with respect to the rotating wafer is a constant.

Abstract: An improved heat mode recording element based on a thin metal layer, preferably bismuth, is disclosed, characterized in that it contains hypophosphorous acid, or phosphorous acid, or a mixture of both.

Abstract: A lithographic printing plate precursor is disclosed, comprising a water-resistant support having provided thereon an image-receiving layer, wherein the image-receiving layer comprises anatase-type titanium oxide grains and a binder resin comprising a complex composed of an organometallic polymer and an organic polymer containing at least one member selected from the group consisting of an amido bond, a urethane bond, a ureido bond and a hydroxy group, the surface of the image-receiving layer has a contact angle with water of at least 25 degrees and the contact angle with water thereof is reduced to 15 degrees or below when it is irradiated with ultraviolet light, and further, a method for preparing the lithographic printing plate precursor and a method for preparing a lithographic printing plate by using the lithographic printing plate precursor are disclosed.

Abstract: A resin composition, comprising the components of: (a) 10 to 40% by weight of (i) an unsaturated monomer having at least two double bonds which can effect radical polymerization or (ii) a mixture of said unsaturated monomer and an unsaturated monomer copolymerizable with said unsaturated monomer, (b) 50 to 85% by weight of an inorganic filler, (c) 1 to 20% by weight of a cross-linked resin particle, (d) 0.1 to 20% by weight of a resin having a methyl methacrylate unit, and (e) 0.01 to 5% by weight of a radical polymerization initiator, is provided. The resin composition has excellent handling property, generates little odor, and can be easily molded to obtain artificial marble.

Abstract: A lithoprinting plate comprising a support and a recording layer which comprises a polyvalent metal ion and a hydrophilic binder polymer having a Lewis base portion containing nitrogen, oxygen or sulfur and which has an oleophilic image area and a hydrophilic non-image area which are printed in a thermal mode, wherein the hydrophilic binder polymer in the hydrophilic non-image area is three-dimensionally cross-linked by the interaction between the polyvalent metal ion and the Lewis base portion.

Abstract: According to the present invention there is provided a method for lithographic printing comprising the following steps:preparing a lithographic printing plate by image-wise laser exposing a heat-sensitive non-ablatable wasteless imaging element comprising a compound capable of transferring light into heat and having on a support as top layer a heat sensitive image forming layer comprising a heat-switchable binder which layer becomes more hydrophilic or more hydrophobic under the action of image-wise laser exposure;mounting said printing element on the press prior to or after the exposure; andapplying a fountain solution and ink, characterized in that said fountain solution comprises at least one water insoluble compound selected from the group consisting of silica, alumina, titanium oxide, tin oxyde, china clay, smectic clay and zirconium oxide.

Abstract: According to the present invention there is provided a method for making lithographic printing plates including the following steps:a) preparing a light sensitive imaging element having on a lithographic base with a hydrophilic surface a first layer including a polymer, soluble in an aqueous alkaline solution and a top layer on the same side of the lithographic base as the first layer which top layer is unpenetrable for an alkaline developer containing SiO.sub.2 as silicate;b) exposing imagewise said light sensitive imaging element to actinic light;c) developing said imagewise exposed light sensitive imaging element with said alkaline developer so that the exposed areas of the top layer and the underlying areas of the first layer are dissolved and the unexposed areas of the first layer remain undissolved characterized in that said top layer includes a diazonium salt and for at least 20% of its weight one or more non-proteinic hydrophilic film-forming polymers.

Abstract: A planographig printing plate precursor which can be written by heat mode exposure of low energy, has excellent strength in image portions and blemishing resistance, can be developed with water, or can be installed in a printing machine as it is for conducting printing without requiring specific treatment such as wet developing treatment, rubbing and the like after writing of an image, and a method for producing the same, are provided. The planographic printing plate precursor of the present invention is obtained by laminating on a substrate having a hydrophilic surface a layer composed of a hydrophobic polymer which is made hydrophilic by heating and either a layer composed of a hydrophilic polymer compound having in the side chain at least one of alkylene oxide groups or functional groups selected from --COOR, --COOM, --SOR, --SO.sub.2 R, --SO.sub.3 R, --SOM, --SO.sub.2 M, --SO.sub.3 M, --OH, --NR.sup.22 R.sup.23 (wherein, R represent a hydrogen atom, alkyl group or aryl group, M represents a metal atom, R.

Abstract: The polybenzoxazole and polybenzothiazole precursors of the invention have the following partial structure: ##STR1## where: A.sup.1 to A.sup.6 are--independently of one another--H, F, CH.sub.3, CF.sub.3, OCH.sub.3, OCF.sub.3, CH.sub.2 CH.sub.3, CF.sub.2 CF.sub.3, OCH.sub.2 CH.sub.3 or OCF.sub.3 CF.sub.3 ;T is O or S, and m is 1;Z is a carbocyclic or heterocyclic aromatic radical.

Abstract: An imaging member is prepared by applying to a support a heat-sensitive imaging layer which comprises at least one heat-sensitive polymer capable of undergoing transformation from a hydrophilic to hydrophobic state or hydrophobic to hydrophilic state, wherein the transformation occurs such that the activation energy Ea and the Arrhenius pre-exponential factor A associated with the transformation simultaneously fulfill the relationships: ln (A).gtoreq.0.4 Ea+8.84 and ln (A).ltoreq.1.69 Ea-14.37. The imaging member is useful in processless thermal lithographic printing.

Abstract: Disclosed is a positive-type photosensitive composition comprising in predetermined blending proportions a substance which generates heat upon absorbing light, a resin which has phenolic hydroxyl groups and is soluble in an aqueous alkaline solution, and a copolymer comprising 10 mol % or more of at least one of acrylic derivatives having a sulfonamide group as a component for copolymerization. The above-described composition is designed for use with an infrared laser in a direct plate making process as a composition advantageous in that the problems of insufficient image forming ability and insufficient solvent resistance of the resin, which has phenolic hydroxyl groups and is soluble in an aqueous alkaline solution, are solved, and in that the range of locations where the photosensitive composition may be handled are not limited, and further in that the sensitivity of the photosensitive composition to the concentration of the developing solution is stable, i.e., there is a broad latitude in development.

Abstract: An imaging member, such as a printing cylinder, is composed of a hydrophilic imaging layer formed from a heat-sensitive composition (for example, by spray coating) having a hydrophilic heat-sensitive polymer containing heat-activatable thiosulfate groups, and optionally a photothermal conversion material. Upon application of energy that generates heat, such as from IR irradiation, the polymer is crosslinked and rendered more hydrophobic. The exposed imaging member can be contacted with a lithographic printing ink and a fountain solution and used for printing with or without post-imaging wet processing. This imaging member is particularly useful for direct write imaging using IR lasers or thermal printing heads. In preferred embodiments, the imaging member is an on-press printing cylinder that is prepared, imaged and used on press.