Product and method for protecting metal during etching

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for etching the interior of a mold. In one implementation of the invention the interior of a mold is coated with an acid-resistant material. A photosensitive laminate is partially exposed to light, with only those areas that are to be etched being exposed. The laminate is subsequently developed to remove that portion of the laminate that has been exposed. This removed portion corresponds to the portion of the mold that is to be etched. After development the laminate is positioned in the interior of the mold over the acid-resistant coating, and then portions of the acid-resistant material are abrasively removed. The laminate is lightly wetted in some implementations in order to make it more flexible and stretchable, thereby allowing it to more readily conform to the interior surface of the mold. The intact portions of the photosensitive laminate (those portions that were not exposed to the light) provide protection to the acid-resist material, while the developed and removed portions of the photosensitive laminate provide little or no protection.

1 . A method of protecting the interior of a mold, the method comprising: 
 providing a mold;    coating the interior of the mold with an etchant-resistant material;    applying a mask over a portion of the etchant-resistant material while leaving other portions of the etchant-resistant material exposed;    selectively removing the exposed portions of the etchant-resistant material; and    etching those portions of the mold that are exposed.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the mask is readily stretchable by at least 10 percent.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the mask is wetted to increase its stretchability prior to applying it over the acid-resistant material.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the mask comprises an ethylenically unsaturated material.  
     
     
         5 . A method of protecting the interior of a mold, the method comprising: 
 providing a mold;    coating the interior of the mold with an acid-resistant material;    providing a photosensitive laminate containing a photosensitive material;    removing a portion of the photosensitive laminate;    applying the photosensitive laminate over the acid-resistant material coating the interior of the mold;    selectively removing a portion of the acid-resistant material corresponding the removed portions of the photosensitive laminate using an abrasive.    etching those portions of the mold that are exposed.    
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the photosensitive laminate is readily stretchable by at least 10 percent.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein he photosensitive laminate is wetted to increase its stretchability prior to applying it over the acid-resistant material.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the photosensitive material is developable with aqueous media.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the photosensitive material comprises a photopolymer.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the photosensitive material comprises a photoinitiator and a monomer, an oligomer, or a combination of monomer and oligomer.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the photosensitive material comprises an e ethylenically unsaturated material.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the photosensitive material comprises an acrylate material.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the photosensitive material comprises a water-soluble, photosensitive vinyl polymer.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the water soluble, photosensitive vinyl polymer comprises a polyvinyl alcohol polymer.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the photosensitive layer comprises less than 75% by weight of a water soluble, photosensitive vinyl polymer having pendent hydroxyl groups and being capable of photo-generated insolubility and less than 75 weight percent of a polymeric film-forming binder.  
     
     
         15 . The method of clam  5 , wherein the photopolymer has pendant, photo-crosslinkable, styryl groups.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the photosensitive material comprises less than 50 weight percent of a photopolymer, about 30 to 90 weight percent of a binder resin, and about 0 to 40 weight percent of a compatible plasticizers.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the photosensitive material comprises about 15 to 50 weight percent of a photopolymer having pendant, photo-crosslinkable, styryl groups, about 50 to 80 weight percent of a binder resin, and about 0 to 15 weight percent of a compatible plasticizer.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the first layer further comprises a plasticizer.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the laminate further comprises a support layer.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the photosensitive laminate film is flexible.