Radiation curable aqueous composition for low gloss coatings

A radiation curable aqueous coating composition having a 85° gloss of ≦60 upon curing comprising:

• (A) 10 to 99 wt % of a polyurethane obtained by the reaction of components comprising:
• (i) 5 to 65 wt % of at least one organic polyisocyanate;
• (ii) 0.1 to 6 wt % of at least one isocyanate-reactive component containing ionic or potentially ionic water-dispersing groups having a molecular weight in the range of from 100 up to 500 g/mol;
• (iii) 0 to 30 wt % of at least one isocyanate-reactive component containing water-dispersing groups and having a molecular weight in the range of from 500 to 6000 g/mol;
• (iv) 0 to 80 wt % of at least one isocyanate-reactive component containing radiation curable functional groups and having a molecular weight in the range of from 70 to 6000 g/mol;
• (v) 0 to 50 wt % of at least one component not comprised by (i), (ii), (iii), (iv) or (vi);
• (vi) 0 to 50 wt % of at least one active-hydrogen chain extending compound;
• where (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v) and (vi) add up to 100 wt %;
• and
• where the NCO:OH ratio is in the range of from 0.4:1.0 to 10.0:1.0;
• (B) 1 to 90 wt % of a radiation curable component;
• and
• (C) 0.1 to 10 wt % of an associative thickener;
• wherein (A)+(B)+(C) add up to 100 wt %;
• and
• wherein at least 80 wt % of the polyurethane (A)+(B)+(C) has a particle size greater than 500 nm;
• and wherein the C═C bond concentration of the composition is 0.2 to 5.0 mmol per g of (A)+(B)+(C).