Hydrophilic-hydrophobic photon-sensitive medium

Claim 2

The process of preparing an image corresponding to a photon exposure comprising the steps of: photon-exposing a selective area of the photon-sensitive, hydrophobic medium of claim 1 to render the medium hydrophilic in the exposed areas; and treating the sensitive medium with a material to produce a physical representation of the photon-exposed area.

Claim 3

The process of preparing an image corresponding to a photon exposure comprising the steps of: photon-exposing a selective area of a photon-sensitive, hydrophobic medium to render the medium hydrophilic in the exposed areas, the sensitive medium comprising a substantially uniform solid dispersion in an organic film-forming binder of a photon-sensitive material, a sensitization-enhancing material and a hydrophobicity-inducing agent selected from the group consisting of a liquid or solid polymer formed from tetrafluoroethylene, chlorotrifluoroethylene, fluorinated ethylene-propylene, vinylidene fluoride or hexafluoropropylene; fluorinated organic acid salts including the copper salts of heptafluorobutyric acid, perfluorooctanoic acid, pentafluoropropionic acid, p-fluorphenylacetic, 2-hydroxy-hexafluoroisobutyric acid, trifluoroacetic, or 3-trifluoromethyl-3-hydroxybutyric acid; a saturated or unsaturated aliphatic acid having a carbon content from C10 to C24, a fatty acid having a carbon content from C16 to C22 including palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid and linolenic acid, napthenic acid; polydimethyl siloxane, silane modified silica, coppEr salt of fluorinated alkanoic acid; a polymer of tetrafluoroethylene, chlorotrifluoroethylene, fluorinated ethylene-propylene, vinylidene fluoride or hexafluoropropylene; and treating the sensitive medium with a source of vaporous metal to the photon exposed medium and depositing said metal selectively on aid exposed hydrophilic area.

Claim 4

The process of preparing an image in accordance with claim 4 wherein the sensitization-enhancing material is selected from the group consisting of copper chloride, copper (II) acetylacetonate, bismuth trioxide, a mixture of cuprous chloride and the trimethylamine salt of tetracyanoquinomethane, cuprous chloride and copper (II) acetylacetonate, a mixture of copper formate and cuprous chloride, cupric sulfate, cupric chloride dihydrate, cupric bromide, cuprous sulfite, cupric thiocyanate, cuprous sulfide, cupric molybdate, cupric lactate, cupric formate, copper p-toluene sulfonate, cupric salicylate, cupric lineolate, cupric acetate, glycine cupric salt, cupric stearate, cupric oleate, cupric tartrate, cupric citrate, d,l-malic acid copper salt, cupric oxalate, bis-(ethyl acetoacetato) copper, bis-(1phenyl 1, 3-butane-dione) copper, cupric dimethyl dithiocarbamate, cuprous sulphate- Beta -naphthol, cuprous acetoacetonate, silver benzotriazole, silver nitrate, silver fluoride, silver oxide, and gallium (III) nitrate.

Claim 5

The process of preparing an image in accordance with claim 3 wherein the preparing step includes coating the sensitive material on an etchable metal; and the treating step comprises treating the sensitive material with an aqueous metal etchant.

Claim 6

The process of preparing an image in accordance with claim 6 wherein the treating step of treating the sensitive material with an aqueous metal etchant is followed by a solvent step wherein the etched metal is treated with a solvent which dissolves the sensitive medium from the metal backing.

Claim 7

The process of preparing an image in accordance with claim 3 wherein the treating of the sensitive material to form a water film on the hydrophilic, exposed areas is followed by the steps of: treating the sensitive medium with an oil base ink so that the oil base ink is positioned on the hydrophobic areas of the sensitive medium and is rejected by the adsorbed water covered exposed hydrophilic areas of the sensitive medium; and imprinting the ink upon a base by pressing the sensitive medium having oil base ink on the hydrophobic areas thereof against the base.

Claim 8

The process of preparing an image in accordance with claim 3 wherein the treating step comprises: placing ink upon the sensitive medium in accordance with the pattern determined by the hydrophilic and hydrophobic areas of the sensitive medium.

Claim 9

The process of preparing an image in accordance with claim 9 wherein the selective placement of ink comprises the steps of: forming a water film on the hydrophilic areas of the sensitive medium; forming a built-up wax layer on the hydrophobic areas of the sensitive medium; filling the hydrophilic areas between the built-up wax with gravure ink; and printing a base by pressing the medium against the base to be printed.