Zirconia-alumina composite ceramic lithographic printing member

摘要

Long wearing and reusable lithographic printing members are prepared from a ceramic that is a composite of a zirconia alloy and alpha -alumina. In use, a surface of the zirconia-alumina composite ceramic printing member is imagewise exposed to electromagnetic radiation which transforms it from a hydrophilic to an oleophilic state or from an oleophilic to a hydrophilic state, thereby creating a lithographic printing surface which is hydrophilic in non-image areas and is oleophilic and thus capable of accepting printing ink in image areas. Such inked areas can then be used to transfer an image to a suitable substrate in lithographic printing. These printing members are directly laser-imageable as well as image erasable.