Radiation crosslinkable polyester and polyesteramide compositions containing sulfonate groups in the form of a metallic salt and unsaturated groups

A linear, radiation crosslinkable, water-dissipatable polymer having carbonyloxy interconnecting groups in the linear molecular structure and having an inherent viscosity of at least about 0.1 measured in a 60/40 parts by weight solution of phenol/tetrachloroethane at 25.degree. C. and at a concentration of about 0.25 gram of polymer in 100 ml. of said solvent, said polymer being prepared from components comprising:

• a. at least one unsubstituted saturated aliphatic, unsubstituted saturated cycloaliphatic or unsubstituted aromatic dicarboxylic acid combining no ethylene unsaturation;
• b. at least one difunctional glycol containing two --CH.sub.2 --OH groups of which at least 15 mole percent is a poly(ethylene glycol) having the structural formula:
• H(OCH.sub.2 -CH.sub.2).sub.n OH
• n being an integer in the range between about 2 and about 20;
• c. an amount sufficient to provide said water-dissipatable characteristic of said polymer of at least one difunctional sulfomonomer containing at least one metal sulfonate group attached to an aromatic nucleus wherein the functional groups are hydroxy, carboxyl or amino;
• d. an .alpha.,.beta.-unsaturated acid having the formula:
• R--CH.dbd.CH--R.sup.1
• wherein R is H, alkyl or arylcarboxy and R.sup.1 is carboxy or arylcarboxy.