Image recording material

1 . A heat mode image recording material, comprising:

an infrared absorbent (A); and

a polymer (B) comprising a polyfunctional monomer component,

the material being modified when exposed by an infrared laser, whereby an image can be formed thereon.

2 . A heat mode image recording material according to claim 1 , wherein the polyfunctional monomer component of the polymer (B) is a compound having 2 or more terminal ethylenic unsaturated groups which can undergo radical polymerization reaction.

3 . A heat mode image recording material according to claim 2 , wherein the polyfunctional monomer component of the polymer (B) has 2 terminal ethylenic unsaturated groups which can undergo radical polymerization reaction.

4 . A heat mode image recording material according to claim 2 , wherein the polyfunctional monomer component is a compound represented by general formula (I):

wherein R and R′ each independently represent a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; and X represents a bivalent linking group.

5 . A heat mode image recording material according to claim 4 , wherein the bivalent linking group is selected from the group consisting of a normal, branched or cyclic alkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, a normal, branched or cyclic alkenyl group having 2 to 20 carbon atoms, an alkynyl group having 2 to 20 carbon atoms, a (monocyclic or heterocyclic) aryl group having 6 to 20 carbon atoms, —C(═O)N—, —OC(═O)N—, —NC(═O)N—, —SC(═O)N—, —C(═S)—, —OC(═S)—, —NC(═S)—, —SC(═S)—, —O—, —C(═O)O—, —C(═O)—, —S—, —SO 2 —, —SO 3 —, —SO 2 N—, —NH—, —NR 1 —, —NAr—, —N═N—, and —N(═NH)N—, wherein R 1 represents an alkyl, alkenyl or alkynyl, Ar represents a (monocyclic or heterocyclic) aryl.

6 . A heat mode image recording material according to claim 2 , wherein the polyfunctional monomer component is a compound represented by general formula (II):

wherein R and R′ each independently represent a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; and X′ represents a bivalent linking group.

7 . A heat mode image recording material according to claim 6 , wherein the bivalent linking group is selected from the group consisting of a normal, branched or cyclic alkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, a normal, branched or cyclic alkenyl group having 2 to 20 carbon atoms, an alkynyl group having 2 to 20 carbon atoms, a (monocyclic or heterocyclic) aryl group having 6 to 20 carbon atoms, —C(═O)N—, —OC(═O)N—, —NC(═O)N—, —SC(═O)N—, —C(═S)—, —OC(═S)—, —NC(═S)—, —SC(═S)—, —O—, —C(═O)O—, —C(═O)—, —S—, —SO 2 —, —SO 3 —, —SO 2 N—, —NH—, —NR 1 —, —NAr—, —N═N—, and —N(═NH)N—, wherein R 1 represents an alkyl, alkenyl or alkynyl, Ar represents a (monocyclic or heterocyclic) aryl.

8 . A heat mode image recording material according to claim 2 , wherein the polyfunctional monomer component is a compound represented by general formula (III):

wherein R and R′ each independently represent a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; and X″ represents a bivalent linking group.

9 . A heat mode image recording material according to claim 8 , wherein the bivalent linking group is selected from the group consisting of a normal, branched or cyclic alkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, a normal, branched or cyclic alkenyl group having 2 to 20 carbon atoms, an alkynyl group having 2 to 20 carbon atoms, a (monocyclic or heterocyclic) aryl group having 6 to 20 carbon atoms, —C(═O)N—, —OC(═O)N—, —NC(═O)N—, —SC(═O)N—, —C(═S)—, —OC(═S)—, —NC(═S)—, —SC(═S)—, —O—, —C(═O)O—, —C(═O)—, —S—, —SO 2 —, —SO 3 —, —SO 2 N—, —NH—, —NR 1 —, —NAr—, —N═N—, and —N(═NH)N—, wherein R 1 represents an alkyl, alkenyl or alkynyl, Ar represents a (monocyclic or heterocyclic) aryl.

10 . A heat mode image recording material according to claim 2 , wherein the polyfunctional monomer component is a compound represented by general formula (IV):

wherein R and R′ each independently represent a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; X′″ represents a bivalent linking group; and Y and Y′ each independently represent an oxygen atom or NR 2 wherein R 2 represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group.

11 . A heat mode image recording material according to claim 10 , wherein the bivalent linking group is selected from the group consisting of a normal, branched or cyclic alkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, a normal, branched or cyclic alkenyl group having 2 to 20 carbon atoms, an alkynyl group having 2 to 20 carbon atoms, a (monocyclic or heterocyclic) aryl group having 6 to 20 carbon atoms, —C(═O)N—, —OC(═O)N—, —NC(═O)N—, —SC(═O)N—, —C(═S)—, —OC(═S)—, —NC(═S)—, —SC(═S)—, —O—, —C(═O)O—, —C(═O)—, —S—, —SO 2 —, —SO 3 —, —SO 2 N—, —NH—, —NR 1 —, —NAr—, —N═N—, and —N(═NH)N—, wherein R 1 represents an alkyl, alkenyl or alkynyl, Ar represents a (monocyclic or heterocyclic) aryl.

12 . A heat mode image recording material according to claim 1 , wherein the polymer (B) is a homopolymer made from the polyfunctional monomer component, or a copolymer made from the polyfunctional monomer component and a different copolymerization component.

13 . A heat mode image recording material according to claim 1 , wherein the polymer (B) is a mixture of a homopolymer made from the polyfunctional monomer component and at least one alkali-soluble resin which is different from the homopolymer.

14 . A heat mode image recording material according to claim 13 , wherein the homopolymer made from the polyfunctional monomer component is contained at a ratio of 2.0 to 70% by mass, with respect to a total amount of the alkali-soluble resin(s).

15 . A heat mode image recording material according to claim 14 , wherein the homopolymer made from the polyfunctional monomer component is contained at a ratio of 5.0 to 60% by mass, with respect to a total amount of the alkali-soluble resin(s).

16 . A heat mode image recording material, comprising:

an infrared absorbent (A); and

an alkali-soluble resin (B) comprising at least a copolymer made from a polyfunctional monomer component having 2 or more terminal ethylenic unsaturated groups which can undergo radical polymerization reaction, and a different copolymerization component,

the material being modified when exposed by an infrared laser, whereby an image can be formed thereon.

17 . A heat mode image recording material according to claim 16 , wherein the polyfunctional monomer component is a compound represented by any one of general formulae (I) to (IV).

in General formula (I) to (IV), R and R′ each independently represent a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; X, X′, X″ and X′″ each independently represent a bivalent linking group; and Y and Y′ each independently represent an oxygen atom or NR 2 wherein R 2 represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group.

18 . A heat mode image recording material, comprising:

an infrared absorbent (A); and

an alkali-soluble resin (B) comprising at least a homopolymer made from a polyfunctional monomer component having 2 or more terminal ethylenic unsaturated groups which can undergo radical polymerization reaction,

the material being exposed to an infrared laser, whereby an image can be formed.

19 . A heat mode image recording material according to claim 18 , wherein the polyfunctional monomer component is a compound represented by any one of general formulae (I) to (IV).

in General formula (I) to (IV), R and R′ each independently represent a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; X, X′, X″ and X′″ each independently represent a bivalent linking group; and Y and Y′ each independently represent an oxygen atom or NR 2 wherein R 2 represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group.

20 . A heat mode image recording material according to claim 18 , wherein the homopolymer made from the polyfunctional monomer component is contained at a ratio of 2.0 to 70% by mass of the resin, with respect to a total amount of the alkali-soluble resin.