Photopolymerization process of image reproduction

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR REPRODUCING AN IMAGE FROM PHOTOPOLYMERIZABLE ELEMENT COMPRISING A SUPPORT BEARING A STRATUM OF A PHOTOPOLYMERIZABLE COMPOSITION SOLID BELOW 40*C., SAID STRATUM BEING THERMALLY TRANSERRABLE BY HAVING A STICK TEMPERATURE ABOVE 40*C. AND BELOW 220*C. AND COMPRISING (A) A THERMOPLASTIC POLYMERIC COMPOUND SOLID AT 50*C., (B) A NON-GASEOUS ETHYLENICALLY UNSATURATED COMPOND CONTAINING AT LEAST ONE THERMINAL ETHYLENIC GROUP, HAVING A BOILING POINT ABOVE 100*C. AT NORMAL ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE, BEING CAPABLE OF FORMING A HIGH POLYMER BY FREE-RADICAL INTIATED, CHAIN-PROPAGATING ADDITION POLYMERIZATION AND HAVING A PLASTICIZING ACTION ON SAID THERMOPLASTIC POLYMER, SAID CONSTITUENTS (A) AND (B) BEING PRESENT IN AMOUNTS FROM 3 TO 97 AND 97 TO 3 PARTS WEIGHT, RESPECTIVELY, INCLUDING EXPOSING SAID PHOTOPOLYMERIZABLE ELEMENT IMAGEWISE TO ACTINIC RADIATION UNTIL POLYMERIZATION AND AN INCRESAE IN SAID STICK TEMPERATUREE OF SAID UNSATURATED COMPOUND TAKES PLACE IN THE EXPOSED IMAGE AREAS WITHOUT SUBSTANTIAL POLYMERIZATION AND AN INCREASE IN STICK TEMPERATURE IN THE UNDEREXPOSED, COMPLEMENTARY, ADJOINING COPLANAR IMAGE AREAS, BRINGING THE SURFACE OF THE EXPOSED STRATUM INTO CONTACT WITH THE SURFACE OF AN IMAGE-RECEPTIVE SUPPORT, HEATING AT LEAST ONE OF THE CONTACTING SURFACES TO AN OPERATING TEMPERATURE INTERMEDIATE BETWEEN THE STICK TEMPERATURES OF THE EXPOSED AND UNDEREXPOSED AREAS AND SEPERATING THE TWO SURFACES WHEREBY AN IMAGE CORRESPONDING TO THE UNDEREXPOSED IMAGE AREAS IS TRANSFERRED TO THE SURFACE OF THE IMAGERECEPTIVE SUPPORT, THE IMPROVEMENT CHARACTERIZED BY HAVING IN INTIMATE CONTACT WITH SAID PHOTOPOLYMERIZABLE STRATUM, AT LEAST DURING EXPOSURE, A REMOVABLE COVER SHEET CAPABLE OF UNIFORMLY TRANSMITTING ACTINIC RADIATION AND HAVING A LOW PERMEABILITY TO OXYGEN, EXPOSING SAID ASSEMBLED COVER SHEET AND STRATUM AT ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS AND REMOVING THE COVER SHEET AFTER EXPOSURE AND PRIOR TO TRANSFER OF THE UNDEREXPOSED IMAGE AREAS TO THE SURFACE OF THE IMAGE-RECEPTIVE SUPPORT.