process for the production of flexodruckformen by thermal development

摘要

Production of flexographic printing plates by thermal development, comprises imagewise exposure of a photopolymerizable relief-forming layer by actinic radiation; heating of the exposed flexographic printing element to 40-200degreesC; and removal of the softened, unpolymerized parts of the relief-forming layer with formation of a printing relief. Production of flexographic printing plates by thermal development, in which the starting material used is a photopolymerizable flexographic printing element comprising, 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, comprises imagewise exposure of a photopolymerizable relief-forming layer by actinic radiation; heating of the exposed flexographic printing element to 40-200degreesC; and removal of the softened, unpolymerized parts of the relief-forming layer with formation of a printing relief. The elastomeric binder is an olefin/(meth)acrylate copolymer having an olefin content of 50-94 mol%, based on the total amount of all monomers in the form of polymerized units. Independent claims are also included for: (1) a photopolymerizable flexographic printing element for the production of flexographic printing plates, comprising a dimensionally stable substrate; at least one photopolymerizable relief-forming layer, at least comprising an elastomeric binder, monomers, and photoinitiator, where the elastomeric binder is an olefin/(meth)acrylate copolymer containing 50-94 mol% olefin monomers, 6-50 mol% (meth)acrylate monomers, and 0-5 mol% further comonomers, based in each case on the total amount of all monomers incorporated in the form or polymerized units; and (2) use of a flexographic printing element for the production of flexographic printing plates by imagewise exposure to actinic light and development or by direct laser engraving.