Abstract: Provided is a process for producing a product enriched in theaflavins. The process comprises contacting a first and a second material to form a reaction mixture with a specific weight ratio of catechins to theaflavins, fermenting the reaction mixture, and then recovering the product from the reaction mixture. The process is particularly suitable for producing leaf tea products with high levels of theaflavins.

Abstract: A lithographic printing plate precursor comprises an electrochemically grained aluminium substrate, the grained surface of which is coated with a layer of gel-like amorphous colloidal oxides and hydroxides of aluminium and their hydrates incorporating metallic aluminium and inter-metallic aluminium alloys—generally at a level of below 5%—this layer being produced during the electrochemical graining process. The layer is typically present in an amount of from 0.1-20 g/m2 and at a layer thickness of 0.1-4.0 &mgr;m, the particle sizes in the said layer generally falling in the range of from 10 to 2000 nm. Methods are disclosed for the preparation of said precursors via the electrochemical graining of aluminium substrates. The invention provides lithographic printing plate precursors which may be imagewise exposed by means of a high intensity laser beam to provide printing plates showing high durability on press and giving images which show good resolution and are free from background staining.

Abstract: A finishing solution is provided for application to thermally sensitive printing plates wherein image formation requires at least partial coalescence of particles within the imaging layer. The finishing solution includes a coalescing aid which comprises a solvent or mixture of solvents having solubility characteristics which facilitate softening or solubilization of the disperse phase and the continuous phase of the radiation sensitive coating of the plate, thereby allowing phase separation and reticulation to be avoided. A method of image formation is also disclosed.

Abstract: The invention provides a radiation sensitive plate which is imageable by exposure to thermal radiation and comprises (a) a substrate; (b) an imaging layer containing a disperse phase comprising a water insoluble heat softenable component, a continuous phase comprising a component which is soluble or swellable in aqueous medium and a substance capable of strongly absorbing radiation and transferring the energy as heat to the disperse phase to cause at least partial coalescence of the coating; and (c) a topmost covering layer having an optical density which is lower than that of the imaging layer at the wavelength of exposure and contains either a combination of a disperse phase and a continuous phase, or a polymer resin which is soluble or dispersible in aqueous medium.

Abstract: A lithographic printing plate precursor comprises an electrochemically grained aluminium substrate, the grained surface of which is coated with a layer of gel-like amorphous colloidal oxides and hydroxides of aluminium and their hydrates incorporating metallic aluminium and inter-metallic aluminium alloys—generally at a level of below 5%—this layer being produced during the electrochemical graining process. The layer is typically present in an amount of from 0.1-20 g/m2 and at a layer thickness of 0.1-4.0 &mgr;m, the particle sizes in the said layer generally falling in the range of from 10 to 2000nm. Methods are disclosed for the preparation of said precursors via the electrochemical graining of aluminium substrates. The invention provides lithographic printing plate precursors which may be imagewise exposed by means of a high intensity laser beam to provide printing plates showing high durability on press and giving images which show good resolution and are free from background staining.

Abstract: A method of image formation which comprises (a) providing a radiation sensitive plate comprising a substrate and a coating containing a heat softenable disperse phase, an aqueous soluble or swellable continuous phase and a radiation absorbing substance, (b) image-wise exposing the plate to at least partially coalesce the particles of the disperse phase in the image areas, (c) developing the image-wise exposed plate to remove the coating in the unexposed areas, and (d) heating the developed plate or subjecting it to irradiation to effect insolubilization of the image. Good quality images of high durability are obtained.