Lithographic printing plate precursor and method of use

1. A negative-working lithographic printing plate precursor comprising a substrate, and an outermost negative-working infrared radiation-sensitive image-recording layer disposed on the substrate,

wherein the outermost negative-working infrared radiation-sensitive image-recording layer comprises:

a) one or more free radically polymerizable components; and

b) an initiator composition capable of generating free radicals,

the outermost negative-working infrared radiation-sensitive image-recording layer further comprising one or more infrared radiation absorbers; and an ozone-blocking material that has a molecular weight of 1500 or less and is represented by the following structure (I), (II), or (III):

wherein R is a hydrocarbon group having 14 to 30 carbon atoms; m is 1 or 2; n is 1 to 6; the sum of m and n is greater than 2 and less than 8; and A is a multivalent organic moiety that is free of R and OH groups, and A has a valence equal to the sum of m and n;

wherein R 1 and R 2 are independently alkyl groups having 14 to 22 carbon atoms, and o is an integer of 1 to 3; and

R 3 C(═O)NR 4 R 5    (III)

wherein R 3 is an alkenyl group comprising at least one C═C double bond within a carbon-carbon chain having 16 to 30 carbon atoms, and R 4 and R 5 are independently a hydrogen atom or an unsubstituted alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, and

the negative-working infrared radiation-sensitive image-recording layer optionally further comprising one or more non-free radically polymerizable polymeric materials that are different from the a), b), the one or more infrared radiation absorbers, and the ozone-blocking material of structure (I), (II), or (III).

2. The negative-working lithographic printing plate precursor of claim 1 , wherein the one or more non-free radically polymerizable polymeric materials are present in the outermost negative-working infrared radiation-sensitive image-recording layer in particulate form.

3. The negative-working lithographic printing plate precursor of claim 1 , wherein the R hydrocarbon group is a linear or branched alkyl group.

4. The negative-working lithographic printing plate precursor of claim 1 , wherein the ozone-blocking material of structure (I), (II), or (III) comprises one or more of the following materials:

sorbitan monostearate, sorbitan mono-palmitate, sorbitan mono-myristate, sorbitan mono-behenate, sorbitan distearate, sorbitan dipalmitate, sorbitan dimyristate, sorbitan dibehenate, glycerol monostearate, glycerol mono-palmitate, glycerol mono-myristate, glycerol mono-behenate, oleamide, erucamide, and compounds represented by the following structure (II):

wherein R 1 and R 2 are independently alkyl groups having 14 to 22 carbon atoms, and o is an integer of 1 to 3.

5. The negative-working lithographic printing plate precursor of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more infrared radiation absorbers is an infrared absorbing cyanine dye.

6. The negative-working lithographic printing plate precursor of claim 1 , wherein the ozone-blocking material is present within the outermost negative-working infrared radiation-sensitive image-recording layer in an amount of at least 1 weight % and up to and including 15 weight %, based on the total solids of the outermost negative-working infrared radiation-sensitive image-recording layer.

7. The negative-working lithographic printing plate precursor of claim 1 , wherein the outermost negative-working infrared radiation-sensitive recording layer is removable on-press using a lithographic ink, a fountain solution, or a combination of a lithographic ink and a fountain solution in regions that are not exposed to infrared radiation.

8. The negative-working lithographic printing plate precursor of claim 1 , wherein the ozone-blocking material is present within the outermost negative-working infrared radiation-sensitive image-recording layer in an amount of at least 2 weight % and up to and including 10 weight %, based on the total solids of the outermost negative-working infrared radiation-sensitive image-recording layer.

9. The negative-working lithographic printing plate precursor of claim 1 , wherein the outermost negative-working infrared radiation-sensitive image-recording layer comprises at least two free radically polymerizable components.

10. The negative-working lithographic printing plate precursor of claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises an aluminum-containing substrate comprising an aluminum oxide layer, and a hydrophilic polymer coating that is disposed on the aluminum oxide layer.

11. The negative-working lithographic printing plate precursor of claim 1 , wherein the ozone blocking material of structure (I), (II), or (III) is present in an amount of at least 2 weight % and up to and including 10 weight %, and the one or more infrared radiation absorbers are present in an amount of at least 0.5 weight % and up to and including 30 weight %, all based on the total weight of the outermost negative-working infrared radiation-sensitive image-recording layer.

12. A method for providing a lithographic printing plate, comprising:

A) imagewise exposing the negative-working lithographic printing plate precursor according to claim 1 to imaging infrared radiation, to provide exposed regions and non-exposed regions in the outermost negative-working infrared radiation-sensitive image-recording layer, and

B) removing the non-exposed regions in the outermost negative-working infrared radiation-sensitive image-recording layer from the substrate.

13. The negative-working lithographic printing plate precursor of claim 1 , wherein the outermost negative-working infrared radiation-sensitive image-recording layer is the only infrared radiation-sensitive image-recording layer of the negative-working lithographic printing plate precursor.