Abstract: A printing blanket is constructed by electrostatically spraying one or more solvated elastomers onto a sleeve structure. A printing blanket can therefore having a sleeve and at least one layer, said layer comprising first and second compositions that are distinct from one another, wherein the boundary between the compositions is a gradient extending at least 0.002 inches. Another aspect of the invention relates to a method of electrostatically spraying elastomeric material onto printing blankets.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a printing blanket comprising a sleeve, a compressible layer including a open or closed-cell polymeric foam comprising: an acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer, hydrogenated acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer, carboxylated acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer, acrylonitrile-butadiene-isoprene terpolymer, neoprene, isoprene, epoxidized isoprene, or mixtures thereof; an aromatic oil in an amount between about 5 pph and 30 pph; carbon black, which has an average particle size as measured by the iodine test of 20 to 100, between about 8 to about 70 pph; and a sulfir-based curing agent, and a printing face layer.

Abstract: A printing blanket is constructed by electrostatically spraying one or more solvated elastomers onto a sleeve structure. A printing blanket can therefore having a sleeve and at least one layer, said layer comprising first and second compositions that are distinct from one another, wherein the boundary between the compositions is a gradient extending at least 0.002 inches. Another aspect of the invention relates to a method of electrostatically spraying elastomeric material onto printing blankets.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a printing blanket comprising an inner multilayer spiral wound polymeric sleeve, wherein the sleeve comprises between 2 and 5 layers that are affixed to one another with an adhesive, the winds overlay one another to form the multiple layers, the gap between adjacent edges of each ribbon are less than 0.2 inches apart as measured axially, the total sleeve thickness is between 0.006 to 0.0028 inches, and the layers are formed either from a single continuous ribbon or a plurality of continuous ribbons of polymeric material. The adjacent edges of the ribbon may alternately overlay axially in an amount such that relaxation during curing results in non-overlapping edges.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a printing face layer for printing blankets which is the product of vulcanization of nitrile rubber with between 38% to about 45% by weight acrylonitrile; a particulate filler at between about 5 pph to about 50 pph; a coupling agent at a quantity of between about 0.5 to about 6 pph; at least one wettability modifier in an amount sufficient to increase the hydrophilicity of the printing face layer; a factice at about 5 to about 40 pph; sulfur at about 0.5 to about 3 pph; a primary accelerator at about 0.1 to about 4 pph; and zinc oxide at between about 2.5 to about 30 pph. Advantageously the printing face formulation also contains phenol formaldehyde resins, stabilizers such as antioxidants, UV protectors, antiozonants, and the like, and also includes resins and fatty acids.

Abstract: A process for preparing a composition including microspheres comprising adding a rubber polymer, a sulfur-based curing agent, and microspheres to a rubber mill mixer and mixing the added materials in the rubber mix to form a composition, wherein the composition comprises less than about 40% solvent. The process is useful for preparing formulations that can be used with printing blanket compressible layers. The microspheres are not adversely affected by the mixing.

Abstract: A printing blanket is constructed by electrostatically spraying one or more solvated elastomers onto a sleeve structure. A printing blanket can therefore having a sleeve and at least one layer, said layer comprising first and second compositions that are distinct from one another, wherein the boundary between the compositions is a gradient extending at least 0.002 inches. Another aspect of the invention relates to a method of electrostatically spraying elastomeric material onto printing blankets.