| abstract |
A developer for irradiated, radiation-sensitive recording materials, in particular for the production of offset printing plates, which contains water, a compound which is alkaline in aqueous solution and a copolymer which acts as an emulsifier and has units of (I) a hydrophobic vinyl compound which has alkyl radicals having up to 30 carbon atoms and (II) a hydrophilic, ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid. Some of the carboxyl groups of the copolymer are esterified with reaction products of (A) (C1-C30)alkanols, (C8-C25)alkanoic acids, (C1-C12)alkylphenols or di(C1-C20)alkylamines with (B) (C2-C4)alkylene oxides or tetrahydrofuran. |