Water compatible energy curable compositions containing malemide derivatives

A method for controlling the cure rate of a water compatible non emulsion, non dispersing actinic radiation curable composition containing a maleimide derivative and having the structure:

• 8
• wherein n and m each independently represent an integer of 1 to 5, the sum of m and n is 6 or smaller;
• R11 and R12 each independently represent a linking group selected from the group consisting of an alkylene group, an alicyclic group, an arylalkylene group, and a cycloalkylalkyene group;
• G1 and G2 each represent an ester linkage selected from the group consisting of —COO— and —OCO—;
• and R2 represents a linking chain having an average molecular weight of 100 to 100,000 selected from the group consisting of a (poly)ether or (poly)ester linking chain, in which at least one organic group consists of a group or groups selected from a straight or branched chain alkylene group, an alkylene group having a hydroxyl group, an alicyclic group, an aryl group, an arylalkylene group, and a cycloalkylalkyene group connected via at least one linkage selected from the group consisting of an ether or ester linkage;
• wherein said method comprises adjusting the molecular weight of R2, in the absence of a photoinitiator, to control the cure rate of the composition.