JP7550065B2 - Photosensitive resin support structure and method for manufacturing photosensitive resin relief plate - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a photosensitive resin support structure and a method for manufacturing a photosensitive resin relief plate.

Many relief plates made from photosensitive resins are manufactured using a method that includes an exposure step in which a photosensitive resin composition layer molded to a certain plate thickness is irradiated with active light rays, and only the photosensitive resin composition layer that will become the relief portion of the printing plate is cured by photopolymerization, followed by a development step in which the uncured photosensitive resin composition outside the relief portion is dissolved and removed with a specified cleaning solution (developing solution), or is swelled and dispersed and mechanically removed, so that only the cured portion appears on the plate surface as a relief.

Relief plates using the above-mentioned photosensitive resins are widely used for flexographic printing and molding.
A support is used to form the relief, on which a photocured product of a photosensitive resin composition is fixed. In any of the above-mentioned applications, the obtained relief plate is used by attaching and fixing the back surface of the support to an object according to the application using a removable adhesive, and the support also plays a role in ensuring the ease of handling, mechanical strength, and dimensional accuracy of the relief plate.
As such a support, Patent Document 1 discloses a support structure having a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer already formed on the surface of the support opposite to the surface in contact with the photosensitive resin.

That is, the support structure disclosed in Patent Document 1 is a support structure in which a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer (referred to as an adhesive layer in Patent Document 1, but in this specification it is referred to as a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer to avoid confusion with the adhesive layer of the support for the photosensitive resin composition layer) and a protective film are provided on a support, and the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer has, on the side opposite to the side in contact with the support, an open, communicating air passageway when the protective film is peeled off, which is a photosensitive resin support structure for printing plate production.
The photosensitive resin support structure disclosed in Patent Document 1 allows the production of a relief plate using the same equipment as a support that does not have an adhesive layer, and not only simplifies the attachment work using double-sided tape or the like, but also has the effect of suppressing the adverse effects on the quality of the final product that may be caused by the inclusion of foreign matter during the attachment work or by the occurrence of air pockets that reduce the accuracy of the relief plate's thickness, and is widely used on the market as a product in which communicating air passages are formed in a striped pattern.

However, the photosensitive resin support structure disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a problem that when used to form a high-definition relief on a support by exposure means from the back of the support, for example, the platemaking method for a molded plate disclosed in Patent Document 2, the method for forming a registration mark when attaching a flexographic printing plate to a desired position disclosed in Patent Document 3, and the method for forming printing plate information on a support disclosed in Patent Document 4 have different curing properties of the photosensitive resin composition in the air passage portion of the adhesive layer and other portions, so that the desired relief shape may not be obtained.

To solve these problems, Patent Document 5 discloses a photosensitive isomeric resin support structure that reduces the difference in UV transmittance between the air passage portion of the adhesive layer and the other portions, thereby making the curing property of the photosensitive resin composition uniform.

Patent No. 3094647 JP 2004-317978 A Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 61-32058 JP 2000-181051 A JP 2007-139911 A

However, the photosensitive resin support structure disclosed in Patent Document 5 has a problem in that when it is attached to a plate cylinder and cleaned with a cleaning solution, the cleaning solution penetrates into the air passage portion of the adhesive layer, resulting in insufficient sealing and the risk of the photosensitive resin support structure peeling off from the plate cylinder.

In view of the above-mentioned problems in the conventional art, the present invention aims to provide a photosensitive resin support structure having an adhesive function, which has an air passage and is configured to have sufficient air escape properties that suppress the occurrence of air pockets, while also providing sufficient sealing properties.

As a result of intensive research into solving the above-mentioned problems, the inventors have found that the above-mentioned problems can be solved by a photosensitive resin support structure having a support and an adhesive layer on the support, wherein the adhesive layer has a recess that opens onto a second surface opposite to a first surface in contact with the support, the cross-sectional area of the recess in the width direction being within a predetermined numerical range, and the height of the recess being reduced by a predetermined value or more when the adhesive layer comes into contact with an adherend, thereby solving the present invention.
That is, the present invention is as follows.

[1]
A support;
A pressure-sensitive adhesive layer on the support;
A photosensitive resin support structure having
the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer has a recess that opens onto a second surface opposite to a first surface that contacts the support,
The cross-sectional area of the recess in the width direction is 0.003 to ^0.008 mm2,
the height of the recess is reduced by 30% or more when the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer comes into contact with an adherend;
Photosensitive resin support structure.
[2]
The photosensitive resin support structure according to [1] above, wherein the recess is formed continuously from one end of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer to the other end.
[3]
The photosensitive resin support structure described in [1] or [2] above, wherein a liner having convex portions is laminated on the second surface of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, and concave portions of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer are formed by the convex portions.
[4]
The photosensitive resin support structure according to any one of [1] to [3], having an adhesive layer on the surface of the support opposite to the surface in contact with the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer and in contact with the photosensitive resin composition layer.
[5]
The photosensitive resin supporting structure according to any one of [1] to [4] above, which is used in the manufacture of a photosensitive resin relief plate, which comprises an exposure step of irradiating a photosensitive resin composition layer with actinic rays.
[6]
The photosensitive resin supporting structure according to [5] above, wherein the effective wavelength region of the actinic light is 300 to 400 nm.
[7]
A method for producing a photosensitive resin relief plate, comprising the steps of: arranging a negative film, the photosensitive resin supporting structure according to any one of [1] to [6] above, and a photosensitive resin composition layer in that order; and irradiating the negative film with active light from a back surface of the negative film.

According to the present invention, when a photosensitive resin support structure having an adhesive function is configured to have an air passage portion, it is possible to provide a photosensitive resin support structure that realizes sufficient air escape properties that suppress the occurrence of air pockets, and also realizes sufficient sealing properties.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a photosensitive resin support structure. 1 shows a schematic top view of an adhesive layer of shape 1. 1 shows a schematic top view of an adhesive layer of shape 2. A schematic top view of the adhesive layer of shape 3 is shown. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer of a photosensitive resin support structure is in contact with an adherend. 1A and 1B are schematic cross-sectional views of a photosensitive resin support structure before and after contact with an adherend, respectively.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter also referred to as "the present embodiment") will be described in detail.
It should be noted that the following embodiment is merely an example for explaining the present invention, and is not intended to limit the present invention to the following content. The present invention can be implemented in various modifications within the scope of the gist thereof.

[Photosensitive resin support structure]
As shown in the schematic cross-sectional view of FIG. 1, the photosensitive resin support structure of this embodiment is a photosensitive resin support structure 1 having a support 2 and a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 3 on the support 2. .
The pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 3 has a recess 3h that opens onto a second surface 3b opposite to a first surface 3a that contacts the support 2, and the cross-sectional area of the recess 3h in the width direction is 0. 0.003 to 0.008 ^mm2 .
A liner 4 having a convex portion may be laminated on the second surface 3b of the adhesive layer 3, and the concave portion 3h of the adhesive layer 3 is formed by the convex portion of the liner 4. There are.
The height of the recess 3h is reduced by 30% or more when the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 3 comes into contact with an adherend with the liner 4 peeled off.
By having the above-mentioned configuration, sufficient air escape properties can be obtained with the occurrence of air pockets suppressed, and sufficient sealing properties can also be achieved.

The photosensitive resin for which the photosensitive resin support structure of the present embodiment can be used is a known photosensitive resin that undergoes a radical reaction upon irradiation with active light rays, and is polymerized and hardened.
Examples of such photosensitive resins include, but are not limited to, liquid photosensitive resins obtained by mixing an ethylenically unsaturated compound and a photopolymerization initiator with a prepolymer made of unsaturated polyester, unsaturated polyurethane, or the like, and solid photosensitive resins obtained by adding an ethylenically unsaturated compound and a photopolymerization initiator to a polymer selected from styrene-butadiene copolymer rubber, styrene-isoprene copolymer rubber, methyl methacrylate resin, partially saponified polyvinyl acetate, water-soluble polyamide, unsaturated polyurethane, hydrophilic copolymers synthesized by emulsion polymerization, or the like, as a binder.

The photosensitive properties of the photosensitive resin can be adjusted by selecting a material from among known photoinitiators (Yashiro Keiichi, "Photocuring Technology Data Book", Technonet Co., Ltd., 2000, pp. 122-133) depending on the type of actinic radiation used in the exposure step, and the effective wavelength range of the actinic radiation refers to the central wavelength range within the wavelength distribution of the irradiation light from the exposure light source.
In order for the photosensitive resin supporting structure of this embodiment to fully exert its effect in a flexographic printing plate or a molded plate, it preferably has light transmission characteristics described below for exposure light sources used in the manufacture of these relief plates, such as high-pressure mercury lamps, ultra-high-pressure mercury lamps, ultraviolet fluorescent lamps, carbon arc lamps, xenon lamps, etc., i.e., it preferably has light transmission characteristics for actinic rays having a central wavelength region in the range of 300 to 400 nm.

(Support)
The support 2 used in the photosensitive resin support structure 1 of this embodiment has the function of reinforcing and maintaining the relief plate finally obtained after laminating and curing a photosensitive resin composition layer thereon, in a predetermined shape, and can be appropriately selected from those commonly used as supports depending on the purpose.
The material of the support 2 is not particularly limited, but in order for the photosensitive resin support structure 1 of this embodiment to form an image by exposure from the support 2 side, it is preferable that the support 2 has a predetermined transmittance to actinic rays with a wavelength of 350 nm, which will be described later.
The support that can be preferably used is a plastic film or sheet whose material itself has a relatively good thickness accuracy, such as a polyester film, a polypropylene film, or a polyvinyl chloride film.
The thickness of the plastic film support is usually within the range of 10 μm to 500 μm, but from the viewpoint of obtaining sufficient strength for supporting the relief plate and from the viewpoint of economy, a polyester film having a thickness of 50 to 250 μm is preferred.

(Adhesive Layer)
An adhesive layer 5 may be provided on the surface of the support 2 opposite to the surface in contact with the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 3, on which the photosensitive resin composition layer is laminated, in order to enhance adhesion to the photosensitive resin composition layer.
The adhesive layer 5 is formed by applying an adhesive material to the support 2, or by modifying the surface of the support 2 by corona treatment or the like.
As the adhesive material, any known adhesive for a support for a photosensitive resin plate can be used. For example, an appropriate adhesive can be selected from those described in JP-B-48-6563 and JP-B-49-43561, taking into consideration the chemical properties of the photosensitive resin.
A dye or an ultraviolet absorbing agent may be added to the adhesive layer 5 for the purpose of preventing halation and adjusting the ultraviolet transmission wavelength range.
The thickness of the adhesive layer 5 is preferably within a range of 0.1 to 10 μm.

(Adhesive Layer)
The adhesive layer 3 used in the photosensitive resin support structure 1 of this embodiment is intended to attach a plate having a relief of the cured product of the photosensitive resin composition layer laminated on the support 2 to the surface of an adherend which differs depending on the application, and is disposed on the surface of the support 2 opposite to the surface on which the photosensitive resin composition layer is formed.
The adhesive constituting the adhesive layer 3 is not limited to the following, but examples thereof include known adhesives such as acrylic adhesives, rubber adhesives, silicone adhesives, urethane adhesives, polyester adhesives, and vinyl acetate adhesives ("Encyclopedia of Adhesion and Adhesion" edited by Yamaguchi Shozaburo, published by Asakura Publishing in 1986, pp. 118-169), from which an appropriate adhesive is selected in consideration of transparency to actinic rays, adhesive strength and peel strength to the support 2 and liner 4, solvent resistance to the developer, and the like.
In particular, adhesives that can be suitably used for the photosensitive resin support structure of this embodiment are preferably removable pressure-sensitive adhesives that do not permanently adhere, so as to enable correction of the attachment position of the printing plate or replacement due to design changes, and acrylic-based pressure-sensitive adhesives, rubber-based pressure-sensitive adhesives, and silicone-based pressure-sensitive adhesives are preferred.

<Concave>
In order to prevent air pockets from forming between the surface of the adhesive layer 3 and the surface of the adherend when the relief plate is attached to the surface of the adherend, the adhesive layer 3 has a recess 3h on its surface 3b opposite to the first surface 3a that contacts the support 2, which is a communicating air passage that opens when the liner 4 is peeled off.
The recesses 3h are preferably formed continuously from one end to the other end of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 3. This makes it possible to effectively prevent air pockets from forming between the surface of the adherend.
The cross-sectional shape of the air passage formed by the recess 3h may be, for example, rectangular, wedge-shaped, semicircular, etc., and its depth may be shallower than the thickness of the adhesive layer 3 or may reach the surface of the support 2.
For a structure having air passages formed by recesses 3h, it is important that the passages are interconnected, and there are no particular limitations on the planar pattern of the air passages. For example, the air passages may be formed in a striped, lattice, mesh or curved shape. The desired breathability may also be achieved by making the adhesive layer 3 itself an interconnected porous body, a laminate of fibrous adhesive, or a combination of these.
The pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 3 may include a thin film layer for the purpose of reinforcement.

<Cross-sectional area of recess>
The cross-sectional area of the recess 3h in the width direction is 0.003 to 0.008 mm ² , preferably 0.004 to 0.007 mm ² , and more preferably 0.005 to 0.006 mm ² .
When the cross-sectional area is 0.003 ^mm2 or more, sufficient air escape properties can be obtained with the occurrence of air pockets being suppressed, and when the cross-sectional area is 0.008 ^mm2 or less, sufficient sealing properties can be exhibited.
The width direction of the recesses 3h refers to the direction in which the recesses 3h are the shortest when the photosensitive resin support 1 of this embodiment is viewed from above the surface on which the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 3 is formed. For example, when the recesses 3h are formed in a lattice shape in which stripes are combined vertically and horizontally as shown in Fig. 2, the area of the cross section cut along the line A-A' perpendicular to the stripes is the cross-sectional area of the recesses 3h.
When the cross-sectional shape of the recess 3h is rectangular as shown in FIG. 1, the cross-sectional area of the recess 3h is the product of the height H and the width W in the state where the liner 4 is attached.
When recess 3h is formed in a curved shape as shown in FIG. 3, the area of a cross section cut along line BB' perpendicular to the tangent line of the curve is the cross-sectional area of recess 3h.
When recesses 3h are formed in a stripe shape as in FIG. 4, the area of a cross section taken along a line CC' perpendicular to the stripes is the cross-sectional area of recesses 3h.

<Height of recess>
In the photosensitive resin supporting structure of this embodiment, the height of the recess 3h, i.e., H in Fig. 1, is reduced by 30% or more when the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 3 comes into contact with a predetermined adherend, preferably by 50% or more, and more preferably by 70% or more.
The adherend is, for example, a carrier sheet used when a printing plate having a relief of a cured product of a photosensitive resin composition layer laminated on a support 2 is used in a printing process.
A specific example of the form is a state in which, as shown in FIG. 5, a plate is formed from a cured product of a photosensitive resin composition layer, and the side of the photosensitive resin support of this embodiment having an adhesive layer 3 on a support 2 on which a recess 3h is formed is in contact with a plate cylinder via a specified carrier sheet.
The height of the recess 3h is reduced by 30% or more when the adhesive layer 3 comes into contact with a specified substrate. This makes it possible to prevent the cleaning liquid from penetrating into the air passage portion of the adhesive layer 3 when cleaning with a cleaning liquid while the adhesive layer is attached to the plate cylinder, thereby ensuring sufficient sealing properties and effectively preventing the photosensitive resin support structure from peeling off from the plate cylinder.
The height of the recess 3h when the adhesive layer 3 comes into contact with a specific adherend can be controlled to be reduced by 30% or more by adjusting the softness of the adhesive layer, the adhesive strength, and the depth of the recess.

<Method of forming pressure-sensitive adhesive layer>
The following method can be used to form the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 3 having the recesses 3h that are open and communicating air passages, as in the photosensitive resin support structure of this embodiment.
For example, a method can be mentioned in which a predetermined pattern is formed on a liner forming roll which will become the pattern of the air passage, the liner is patterned with the forming roll, an adhesive is applied to the liner, the liner is dried, and a support 2 is attached to form an adhesive layer 3.
When the adhesive is applied, the adhesive may be in a dissolved or dispersed state in a volatile solvent, or may be in a molten state.
Other methods for forming the adhesive layer 3 include, for example, a method in which the adhesive is extracted from a nozzle in a pattern that is periodic with respect to the flow direction of the support roll, a method in which the adhesive is protruded in a dot-like manner from a nozzle, a method in which the adhesive is first applied to the entire surface of the support and then the adhesive is scraped off with a nail having the desired cross-sectional shape and pitch, a method in which the adhesive surface is impressed with a roll having the desired relief shape and pattern, a method in which the adhesive is foamed and porous using a foaming agent and then coated on the support, and a method in which the adhesive is extruded into a fibrous form and laminated on the support 2.
The above-mentioned methods may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

In order to manufacture the photosensitive resin support structure of this embodiment as a long sheet with excellent productivity, it is preferable to form recesses 3h, which are air passages for the adhesive layer, continuously on the support sheet by any of the methods described above.
The photosensitive resin support structure of this embodiment has a structure in which the adhesive layer 3 is laminated with the support 2, and a liner 4 is laminated on the adhesive layer 3 as necessary. Therefore, when the photosensitive resin support structure of this embodiment is stacked and stored, problems such as transfer of the uneven shape of the adhesive layer 3, protrusion of the adhesive from the end of the structure due to cold flow, and blocking of the air passage may occur. Therefore, in the photosensitive resin support structure of this embodiment, the thickness of the adhesive layer 3 and the opening width and depth of the recess 3h, which is the air passage, are appropriately selected according to the adhesive strength and flexibility of the adhesive used so as to maintain sufficient strength and not cause the above-mentioned problems.

In the photosensitive resin support structure of this embodiment, if the opening area of the recess 3h of the adhesive layer 3 when the adhesive layer 3 is not in contact with a specified adherend is larger than 50% of the entire photosensitive resin support structure of this embodiment, the effect of the step in the thickness of the adhesive layer 3 may be transmitted to the plate surface, and if it is smaller than 0.1%, cold flow or air passages may be blocked during compression, causing air pockets on the adhesive surface. Therefore, it is preferable to design it in the range of 0.1% to 50%, more preferably 1 to 40%, and even more preferably 5 to 25%.

(liner)
In the photosensitive resin support structure of this embodiment, a liner 4 having convex portions may be laminated on the second surface 3b of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 3, and it is preferable that the concave portions of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 3 are formed by the convex portions.
A liner 4 is laminated to the adhesive layer 3 to protect the adhesive layer 3 during handling and the plate making and plate mounting processes.
The liner 4 is preferably resistant to the developing solutions used in the plate making process, such as aqueous, alcoholic, and hydrocarbon-based developing solutions, etc. Examples of such liners 4 include, but are not limited to, transparent plastic films having a thickness of 5 to 200 μm and made of polyester, polypropylene, polyethylene, propylene-ethylene copolymer, soft polyvinyl chloride, polyamide, and acrylic resin.

The surface of the liner 4 opposite to the surface in contact with the adhesive layer 3 is preferably uniformly roughened to improve vacuum drawing during plate making. Excessive roughening is not necessary; for example, a 10-point average roughness (Rz) of about 0.1 μm according to the JIS standard is sufficient. Examples of roughening methods include sandblasting and chemical etching. Another example is the resin mat method, which roughens the surface when producing a film or sheet to be used as a protective film.

The adhesive strength of the adhesive layer 3 is adjusted as necessary, but the adhesive strength with the support 2, i.e., the adhesive strength on the first surface 3a in Fig. 1, is preferably 100 g/25 mm or more, more preferably 200 g/25 mm or more, in terms of adhesive strength (180-degree adhesive strength) when a test piece with a width of 25 mm is left at a temperature of 20°C for one week to stabilize the adhesive strength and then peeled in a 180-degree direction at a speed of 300 mm/min. If the 180-degree adhesive strength is 200 g/25 mm or more, no problems such as peeling will occur in practice even in thick plates with a relief thickness of 3 mm or more.
The adhesive strength of the adhesive layer 3 to the receiving surface to which the relief plate is to be attached, i.e., the adhesive strength on the second surface 3b in Fig. 1, is preferably equal to or less than the adhesive strength to the support 2, because if the adhesive strength to the support side is smaller, the adhesive layer 3 may peel off from the support 2 and be transferred to the receiving surface when the relief plate once attached is peeled off. When the support 2 and the receiving surface are made of the same material, it is preferable to provide a known anchor coat layer on the surface of the support 2 in advance, or to corona-treat the support coated with the adhesive to increase the adhesive strength, in order to set the adhesive strength between the adhesive layer 3 and the support 2 higher than the adhesive strength between the adhesive layer 3 and the receiving surface.

The adhesive strength between the adhesive layer 3 and the liner 4 is preferably adjusted to be smaller than the adhesive strength with the support 2 described above in order to enable peeling of the liner 4. From the viewpoint of preventing peeling of the liner 4 during handling or the plate making process and facilitating peeling of the liner 4, the 180 degree adhesive strength is preferably adjusted to be 1 to 200 g/25 mm, more preferably 5 to 100 g/25 mm, and even more preferably 10 to 50 g/25 mm.
When the support 2 and the liner 4 are made of the same material, it is effective to provide a release agent layer on the surface of the liner 4 that comes into contact with the adhesive layer 3 in order to set the adhesive strength between the adhesive layer 3 and the liner 4 lower than the adhesive strength between the adhesive layer 3 and the support 2.
As the release agent, known release agents that are usually used for adhesive tapes, such as silicone-based release agents and fluororesins, can be used.

[Method of manufacturing photosensitive resin relief plate]
The photosensitive resin supporting structure of the present embodiment is used for producing a photosensitive resin relief plate, which includes an exposure step of irradiating a photosensitive resin composition layer with actinic rays.
A method for producing a photosensitive resin relief plate using the photosensitive resin supporting structure of this embodiment will be described.
A method for producing a photosensitive resin relief plate preferably includes an exposure step, a development step, and then, if necessary, a post-exposure step and a drying step. The exposure step more preferably includes a step of arranging a negative film, the photosensitive resin support structure of this embodiment, and a photosensitive resin composition layer in this order, and irradiating the negative film with active light from the back side thereof, and it is even more preferable that the irradiated active light has a central wavelength in the range of 300 to 400 nm.

There are no limitations on other actions in the exposure step, and for example, a treatment may be taken to reduce the scattered light of the active light used in the exposure step and to increase parallelism, or a step may be included in which a protective film is adhered to the surface of the photosensitive resin composition layer opposite the surface that contacts the support 2, and active light having a central wavelength in the range of 300 to 400 nm is irradiated through a negative film of an image different from the negative film on the support side.

After the exposure step, a development step is preferably carried out to remove the photosensitive resin composition in the areas not irradiated with the actinic rays, and the development method is not particularly limited as long as it is a method that can remove the uncured photosensitive resin composition. For example, there are methods that use a liquid (developer) that enables the photosensitive resin composition to be dissolved, dispersed, and swelled, methods that use high-pressure water or compressed air to remove the uncured photosensitive resin composition in an environment where the uncured photosensitive resin composition has fluidity, and methods that wipe it off with a nonwoven fabric, etc.

When the photosensitive resin supporting structure of this embodiment is applied to a developing step using a liquid, there has conventionally been a problem that during the developing step, the developing liquid seeps into the recesses 3h, which are air passages, provided in the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 3. In this case, when the liner 4 is peeled off to attach the plate, there is a risk of problems occurring, such as the developer that has soaked in emitting an unpleasant odor, creating an unsanitary condition from the standpoint of environmental hygiene, or acting on the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 3 to cause fluctuations in performance, or the photosensitive resin supporting structure peeling off from the adherend.
In the photosensitive resin support structure of this embodiment, the cross-sectional area of the recess in the width direction is specified to be 0.003 to ^0.008 mm2, and the height of the recess is specified to be reduced by 30% or more when the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 3 comes into contact with the adherend, thereby realizing sufficient air escape properties that suppress the occurrence of air pockets, and also achieving sufficient sealing properties.

The present embodiment will be described in more detail below with reference to specific examples and comparative examples, but the present embodiment is not limited in any way to the following examples and comparative examples.

[Examples 1 to 9], [Comparative Examples 1 to 7]
A liner 4 made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and having recesses as shown in FIG. 2 (shape 1), FIG. 3 (shape 2), and FIG. 4 (shape 3) was produced by embossing.
An adhesive was applied to the liner 4, which was then dried and attached to a support 2, to obtain a photosensitive resin support structure 1 having an adhesive layer 3 on which predetermined recesses 3h were formed.
FIG. 6(A) shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a photosensitive resin supporting structure 1 having a liner 4 and prior to contact with an adherend.
FIG. 6(B) shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the photosensitive resin supporting structure 1 in a state where the liner 4 has been peeled off and the structure is in contact with an adherend 10.
The photosensitive resin supporting structure 1 was measured by the following method.

(Measurement of the height of the recess before contact with the adherend and the cross-sectional area of the recess)
The liner 4 was peeled off from the photosensitive resin support structure 1, and the height of the recess 3h before contact with the adherend and the cross-sectional area of the recess 3h were measured for the exposed pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 3 using a shape analysis laser microscope (VK-X1000, manufactured by Keyence Corporation). The analysis was performed using a VK analysis application.
In the measurement, three arbitrary points 5 cm or more inside from the edge of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 3 were selected, and the average values of the measured values were calculated to obtain the measured values of the height and cross-sectional area of the recess.

(Measurement of the thickness of the support + the thickness of the adhesive layer + the thickness of the liner before contact with the adherend)
For the photosensitive resin supporting structure 1 produced as described above, the total thickness of the support, the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer and the liner before contact with the adherend was measured using a linear gauge.
In FIG. 6(A), (1) corresponds to the total thickness of the support, the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, and the liner.

(Measurement of the thickness of the liner including the height of the irregularities)
The thickness of the liner 4 on which the irregularities were formed, including the height of the irregularities, was measured using a linear gauge.
In FIG. 6A, (2) corresponds to the thickness of the liner 4 including the height of the projections and recesses.

(Measurement of the thickness of the support plus the thickness of the adhesive layer after contact with the adherend)
The liner 4 was peeled off from the photosensitive resin support structure 1 to expose the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 3, which was then attached to a predetermined adherend 10.
Thereafter, the total thickness of the support and the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer was measured with a linear gauge.
In FIG. 6(B), (3) corresponds to the sum of the thickness of the support and the thickness of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer after contact with the adherend.

(Measurement of the height of the recess after contact with the adherend)
The height (4) of the recess after attachment to the adherend 10 was calculated by the following formula using (1) to (3) in Figs. 6(A) and (B).
(4)=(3)-((1)-(2))(μm)

(Reduction rate of height of recess before and after contact with adherend)
The reduction rate of the height of the recesses 3bn before and after the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 3 of the photosensitive resin support structure 1 was brought into contact with the adherend 10 was calculated by the following formula.
Reduction rate of recess height=((recess height before contact−recess height after contact)/recess height before contact)×100(%)

[Evaluation of characteristics]
The properties of the photosensitive resin supports of the above Examples and Comparative Examples were evaluated as follows.

(Sealing properties)
The liner 4 was peeled off from the photosensitive resin support structure 1 of 50×150 mm, and attached to a PET adherend 10 .
The plate was left for 3 hours in an environment of 23±1° C., and then immersed for 5 minutes in a plate cleaner (IC-01, manufactured by Sakata Inx) diluted 2-fold with water.
At that time, a small amount of black ink was added to the plate cleaner to visualize the state of penetration.
After 5 minutes had elapsed, the penetration distance of the black ink was measured with a laser microscope or calipers.
The measurement was performed from the intrusion opening of the detergent along the recess to the point where the detergent stopped intruding, and this was defined as the intrusion length.
When it was difficult to determine the entry point, measurements were taken from the point where the entry length was the longest.
The average value of two samples was taken as the measured value.
The penetration depth was evaluated as ◯ when it was less than 3 mm, and as × when it was 3 mm or more.

(Air escape property)
The liner 4 was peeled off from the photosensitive resin support structure 1 of 50 mm×150 mm.
First, the peripheral portion of the photosensitive resin support structure 1 was attached to the adherend 10 , and then the central portion of the photosensitive resin support structure 1 was attached to the adherend 10 .
Whether or not the air trapped at the boundary between the photosensitive resin support structure and the adherend escapes when the central part of the photosensitive resin support structure 1 is attached to the adherend was evaluated by measuring the thickness of the area where the air had accumulated.
When the thickness of the part where air had accumulated was 50 μm or more higher than the surrounding area, it was evaluated as ×, and when the thickness was less than 50 μm, it was evaluated as ◯.

The photosensitive resin support structure of the present invention has industrial applicability in fields where the convenience of a support structure having adhesive function is required and where the photosensitive resin support structure has an air passage portion, the occurrence of air pockets is suppressed and sufficient sealing properties are required, such as the fields of flexographic printing plate manufacturing and molded plate manufacturing.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Photosensitive resin support structure 2 Support 3 Pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 3a First surface 3b Second surface 3h Recess 4 Liner 10 Adherend

Claims (7)

A support;
A pressure-sensitive adhesive layer on the support;
A photosensitive resin support structure having
the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer has a recess that opens onto a second surface opposite to a first surface that contacts the support,
The cross-sectional area of the recess in the width direction is 0.003 to ^0.008 mm2,
the height of the recess is reduced by 30% or more when the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer comes into contact with an adherend;
Photosensitive resin support structure. The recessed portion is
It is continuously formed from one end to the other end of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer.
The photosensitive resin supporting structure of claim 1 . a liner having convex portions is laminated on a second surface of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, and concave portions of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer are formed by the convex portions;
The photosensitive resin supporting structure according to claim 1 or 2. The support has an adhesive layer on a surface opposite to a surface in contact with the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer and in contact with the photosensitive resin composition layer.
The photosensitive resin supporting structure according to claim 1 . The present invention is used for producing a photosensitive resin relief plate, which includes an exposure step of irradiating a photosensitive resin composition layer with actinic rays.
The photosensitive resin supporting structure according to claim 1 . The photosensitive resin support structure according to claim 5, wherein the effective wavelength range of the actinic light is 300 to 400 nm. A negative film, the photosensitive resin supporting structure according to any one of claims 1 to 6, and a photosensitive resin composition layer are arranged in this order,
A method for producing a photosensitive resin relief plate, comprising the step of irradiating the negative film with actinic rays from a rear side of the negative film.

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