Photosensitive polymer composition for flexographic printing plates processable in aqueous media.

摘要

A photocurable composition useful in preparing water-developable, solid printing plates is prepared by blending a urethane (meth)acrylate prepolymer with a complexing polymer based on poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) composition. The resulting composition is suitably formulated with additional photoactive (meth)acrylate monomers or oligomers and photoinitiator for casting or extrusion on a substrate to form a flexographic printing plate. Following UV exposure of the plate through a negative, unexposed areas can be removed by washing with aqueous media, to give a plate with a desirable relief image. The use of the aqueous washout solution as opposed to organic solvents minimizes pollution problems. The use of the complexing polymer significantly reduces the cold flow of the uncured plate and both increases toughness and reduces tack of the cured plate.