SBQ is a yellow crystalline powder, soluble in water, pH 4-6, chemically known as N-methyl-4-(p-formylstyryl)pyridine methyl sulphate, and is a photographic agent for organostyryl pyridine salt resin photoresist (SBQ photoresist). It is mainly used in the field of screen printing, photosensitive emulsion, photoresist, and other light-curing products processing and manufacturing.
INNO SPECIALTY CHEMICALS is the main SBQ Photosensitive powder manufacturer and supplier in China. The main item number of its products is GM-SBQ | SBQ CAS:74401-04-0
The early PVA-SBQ photosensitive resin was invented by Kunihiro Ichimura of the Japan Institute of Fibre Polymers as a highly efficient water-soluble polymeric photosensitive material. Ltd. and was successfully used in the printing, electronics and etching industries as well as in microbial fermentation curing technology. These products have higher photosensitivity than traditional resins such as dichromate and diazo, and overcome the well-known drawbacks such as fear of oxygen, fear of water and poor environmental friendliness. The most widely used on the market today are Murakami SBQ-ER one-component water-resistant photoresist, Murakami SBQ single-liquid solvent-resistant photoresist and the non-diazo photographic emulsion One Pot XL.
Murakami developed the PVA-SBQ photopolymer (high precision screen printing photopolymer) in 1985. At that time, dichromate and diazo resins were the main types of photosensitive materials for screen printing, but they had a short service life and could only be sold in two-liquid form. On the other hand, the PVA-SBQ series of photosensitive materials had a long service life and were offered to customers in single-liquid form, eliminating the need for customers to mix photosensitive materials. In addition, the PVA-SBQ series is highly regarded in the global screen printing industry as a revolutionary photographic material with excellent performance in terms of significantly shorter exposure times compared to dichromate and diazo resins.
SBQ as a new generation of light sensitive material has the following characteristics.
- The SBQ is a single-liquid photopolymer that does not require the addition of a photosensitiser or a sensitiser initiator and can be used at any time, saving time and wasting nothing.
- SBQ photopolymer is highly sensitive, 3-4 times more sensitive than commonly used screen printing sensitivities, and uses very little. The exposure time is about 1/2-1/5 of that of the diazo type. It can save energy, reduce costs and improve work efficiency.
- SBQ photosensitive monomer as a non-diazo one-component photopolymer is dependent on the single-linear state of the photocyclic addition reaction so that PVA cross-linking, so no light has a very strong stability, there is no dark reaction.
- High resolution, excellent reproduction and development of originals, fine line precision stencils.
- High concentration, good coating workability, smooth film surface, clear lines for plate making and the ability to produce thick film plates.
- It can be stored at room temperature for at least 1 year without deterioration, so it can be made into PS plates (pre-coated plates) or film for long-term storage.
In view of the above characteristics, SBQ has a broad market prospect. It is mainly used as a composite material for water-soluble photographic coatings, both for the production of screen printing photo gels, with better performance than binary diazo powders, high stability, no dark reactions, high photosensitivity and thermal stability. Also used as a negative working sensitiser for esterified pre-sensitised offset printing plates, replacing diazo intermediates but offering higher quality and faster exposure times with a longer shelf life.
SBQ photopolymer is divided into two categories: solvent-resistant and water-resistant. The solvent-resistant photopolymer is suitable for solvent-based inks, such as solder resist ink, embossing ink, flocking ink, quick-soluble ink, foam ink, etc. It is mainly used for PCB, circuit board, instrument, advertising signs, various trademarks, ceramic decal paper, plastic, glass, enamel, metal products screen printing, etc. Water-resistant photopolymer is suitable for printing and dyeing, ceramic wall and floor tile printing colour, fabric, printing, T-shirt colour dot printing, can print high-sensitivity products, high resolution, good surface smoothness of textiles, towels, paper screen, etc.
Organic vinyl pyridine resin (SBQ photosensitive resin) is added to water-soluble resin and other additives to make a single-liquid type water-soluble SBQ photosensitive resin for the production of screen printing plates, through which it can be used for water-soluble printing inks. Sizing materials sticky glue. Printing materials such as printing images on textiles, clothing and towel paper have the advantages of high sensitisation, good separation clarity and smooth surfaces.
Organic vinyl pyridine resin (SBQ photosensitive resin) with the addition of solvent-resistant resin and other additives can be made into a single-liquid solvent-resistant SBQ photosensitive resin for making solvent-resistant ink printing plates, which can be used for solvent-based inks, such as anti-solder inks, letterpress inks, stacking inks. Soluble ink, foam ink, etc., mainly used for printing products: PCB, instrument, AD plate board, various brands, nameplates, decal paper, plastic, glass, metal, leather, etc.
As a new generation photoresist, SBQ is characterised by its stability to temperature and humidity, its higher photographic sensitivity than usual photoresists, its ability to be mixed directly with emulsions to form mono-liquid forms and its suitability for thick stencils. It can be mixed directly with emulsions to form mono-liquid types and is suitable for making thick stencils. In addition, it is highly stable when not exposed to light and has no dark reactions, so it is being widely used in the printing industry, especially in screen printing and photoresists.
Plate making methods
Stretching: The required mesh is selected, tensioned, angled and glued to a frame made of aluminium, etc. The wire mesh is made of polyester, nylon, stainless steel, etc. The dyed polyester and nylon wire mesh prevents messy reflections.
Plate washing: cleaning and degreasing with special screen cleaning agents.
Coating: A well-drawn and washed stencil is coated by hand or by a coating machine. The emulsion is divided into single-liquid (SBQ system) and double-liquid (diazo system). The double-liquid photographic emulsion needs to be sensitised before coating, and the diazo photosensitiser can only be used after it has been completely dissolved and mixed evenly with the emulsion and defoamed. Single-liquid photographic emulsions can be used after gentle mixing. The coating should be applied at a drying temperature of 30 to 40°C to avoid air bubbles in the scraper. The film thickness depends on the requirements of the printed material and can be controlled by the number of coating processes.
Drying: warm air drying at 40°C or below.
Exposure: The film negative is pasted onto the P side of the screen and exposed under UV light, the UV-exposed part loses its water solubility, the exposure time varies depending on the photopolymer. Please refer to the exposure schedule on each page and determine the optimum exposure time after exposure.
*Note: Under-exposure will reduce the number of times the screen can withstand printing, and over-exposure will affect the sharpness of the image.
Development: use water to soak both sides of the screen after exposure or place in a sink for 1 to 2 minutes, remove and rinse the screen with a high-pressure water gun water spray (UV irradiated part of the photopolymer hardened on the screen, no UV irradiated part dissolved in water), until all patterns are clear, remove excess water with a pressurised air gun, chicken skin cloth, etc. to remove.
Drying: at 30 to 40°C.
Plate inspection: drying inspection. Correction of the stencil and repair of pinholes.
Secondary exposure: After the edge filler has dried, secondary exposure is carried out from the scraping surface, with the secondary exposure taking the same time as the main exposure. The secondary exposure improves the print resistance of the screen.
