Polymeric composition

Abstract

There is described a substantially solid, solvent free, radiation curable composition comprising a) optionally from 0.1% to 99.9% by weight of a colorant; and b) from 0.1% to 99.9% of radiation curable polymer obtained and/or obtainable from at least one mono-(terminal functional forming) monomer of formula I: R1(R2)C═CR3(C═O)(X1)nR4 Formula 1, where n is 0 or 1, X1 is oxy or —NR5— (where R5 represents H or optionally substituted organo), R1 independently represents optionally substituted C1-10hydrocarbo, hydroxyl, optionally substituted C2-10hydrocarbo-oxy comprising a ring moiety, and/or carboxy; and R2, R3 and R4 each independently represent H, an optional substituent and/or optionally substituted organo groups and where n is 0, R3 may also represent oxy or —NR5—; and c) optionally from 0.1% to 90% of a radiation curable high molecular weight reactive diluent; and d) optionally from 0.01 to 10% of at least one photo-initiator; and where the radiation curable polymer (b) is i) obtained and/or obtainable in a suspension polymerisation process using a cobalt catalyst as a chain transfer agent; ii) is solid under standard conditions; and iii) is mono-(terminal functional) comprising one terminally located activated unsaturated moiety (such as of Formula 1 herein). where the composition has at least one of the properties (A) to (F): A) is substantially free of volatile organic compounds (VOCs); B) has a residual concentration of initiator (such as peroxide) of less than 0.025 g per g of polymer; C) comprises a polymer having a total ethylenic unsaturation (for example from moiet(ies) of Formula 1, such as C═C and/or (meth)acrylate) greater than 0.1 milli-equivalents C═C per g polymer; D) is substantially-free of sulphur comprising species; E) is substantially free of cobalt (II) species; and/or F) has a weight average molecular weight (Mw) of less then 25 kDa.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.