Process for preparing relief images using acid-curable resins and masked curing catalysts

Claim 1

A process for the production of a relief image which comprises (a) coating a substrate with a curable composition which comprises (1) an acid-curable resin which is an amino resin or a phenolic resin, or a mixture of an amino resin or a phenolic resin with an alkyd, polyester or acrylic resin, and (2) an effective amount of a curing catalyst which is a compound of formula I or II ##STR43## in which n is the number 1 or 2 and R 1 is phenyl or naphthyl which is unsubstituted or substituted by 1, 2 or 3 radicals belonging to the group comprising --Cl, --Br, --CN, --NO 2 , C 1 -C 12 -alkyl, C 1 -C 4 -alkoxy, phenoxy, tolyloxy, phenylthio, tolylthio, C 1 -C 8 -alkylthio, --SCH 2 CH 2 OH, C 1 -C 4 -alkylsulfonyl, phenylsulfonyl, C 2 -C 4 -alkoxycarbonyl, C 1 -C 4 -alkylamino, C 2 -C 4 -dialkylamino, phenyl--CONH, C 1 -C 4 -alkyl--CONH-- or benzoyl, or R 1 is also anthryl, phenanthryl, thienyl, pyridyl, furyl, indolyl or tetrahydronaphthyl, and R 2 is hydrogen or C 1 -C 8 -alkyl which is unsubstituted or substituted by --OH, --Cl, C 1 -C 4 -alkoxy, --CN, C 2 -C 5 -alkoxycarbonyl, phenyl, chlorophenyl, C 7 -C 10 -alkylphenyl or C 7 -C 10 -alkoxyphenyl, or is also benzoyl, R 3 is as defined for R 2 and is also phenyl which is unsubstituted or substituted by --Cl, C 1 -C 4 -alkyl, C 1 -C 4 -alkoxy or C 1 -C 4 -alkylthio, C 2 -C 8 -alkoxycarbonyl, --CN, C 1 -C 4 -alkyl--NHCO--, phenyl--NHCO-- or --CONH 2 , or R 2 and R 3 , together with the carbon atom to which they are attached, constitute a C 4 -C 6 -cycloalkyl ring, X is --O--, --S--, --SO 2 --, --CH 2 --, --C(CH 3 )-- or >N--COR 7 , R 7 being C 1 -C 4 -alkyl or phenyl, and Y is a direct bond or --CH 2 --, and, if n=1, R 4 is C 1 -C 18 -alkyl, phenyl which is unsubstituted or substituted by halogen, C 1 -C 12 -alkyl, C 1 -C 4 -alkoxy, C 1 -C 4 -alkyl--CONH--, phenyl--CONH--, --NO 2 or benzoyl, naphthyl which is unsubstituted or substituted by halogen, C 1 -C 12 -alklyl or C 1 -C 4 -alkoxy, C 5 -C 6 -cycloalkyl, C 7 -C 9 -aralkyl, camphoryl, --CF 3 ' --CCl 3 , --F or --NH 2 , and, if n=2, R 4 is a --(CH 2 ) m -- group in which m is the number 2 to 8, or R 4 is phenylene or naphthylene which is unsubstituted or substituted by C 1 -C 12 -alkyl, R 5 is H or 1, 2 or 3 radicals belonging to the group comprising --Cl, --Br, --NO 2 , C 1 -C 12 -alkyl, C 1 -C 12 -alkoxy, phenoxy, phenylthio, C 1 -C 8 -alkylthio or --SCH 2 CH 2 OH, and R 6 is hydrogen or C 1 -C 8 -alkyl which is unsubstituted or substituted by --OH, --Cl, C 1 -C 4 -alkoxy, --CN, C 2 -C 5 -alkoxycarbonyl, phenyl, chlorophenyl, C 7 -C 10 -alkylphenyl or C 7 -C 10 -alkoxyphenyl, phenyl which is unsubstituted or substituted by --Cl, C 1 -C 4 -alkyl, C 1 -C 4 -alkoxy or C 1 -C 4 -alkylthio, C 2 -C 8 -alkoxycarbonyl or --CN, (b) irradiating said coating through a negative film with short-wave light, c) heating the coating to crosslink the areas of the coating exposed to irradiation, and (d) developing the relief image by washing out the non-crosslinked portions with a developer solvent.