Photochromic composition

A photochromic composition comprising (A) 100 parts by weight of an epoxy compound having an epoxy group represented by general formula (I) and (B) 0.0001 to 10,000 parts by weight of a fulgide compound represented by general formula (II), ##STR42## wherein each of R.sup.1 and R.sup.4 is a hydrogen atom or a methyl group and R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 represent the same or different alkylene groups having 1 to 4 carbon atoms which may be substituted by hydroxyl group, or a group of ##STR43## wherein m and n are 0 or 1, ##STR44## wherein ##STR45## is a divalent aromatic hydrocarbon group containing a benzene group and fused rings of 2 or 3 benzene rings or containing a divalent unsaturated heterocyclic group having 5- to 7-membered rings containing 1 to 2 oxygen atoms, nitrogen atoms or sulfur atoms as ring-constituted atoms, or fused rings of said ring and a benzene ring, each of which may contain a member selected from halogen atoms, alkyl groups having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, alkoxy groups having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, aryl groups having 6 to 10 carbon atoms, alkoxyaryl groups having 7 to 14 carbon atoms, such as aryl groups having 6 to 10 carbon atoms substituted by alkoxy groups having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, amino group, nitro group, and cyano group, R.sub.1 is an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, an aryl group having 6 to 10 carbon atoms, and a monovalent heterocyclic group having a 5- to 7-membered ring containing 1 to 2 oxygen atoms, nitrogen atoms or sulfur atoms as ring-constituted atoms or fused rings of the multi-membered ring and a benzene ring, ##STR46## is a norbornylidene group or an adamantylidene group, X is an oxygen atom, a group >N--R.sub.2, a group >N--A.sub.1 --B.sub.1 --(A.sub.2).sub.m --(B.sub.2).sub.n --R.sub.3, a group >N--A.sub.3 --A.sub.4 or a group >N--A.sub.3 --A.sub.4 in which R.sub.2 is a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms or an aryl group having 6 to 10 carbon atoms, A.sub.1, A.sub.2, or A.sub.3 are the same or different and each represents an alkylene group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms or an alkylidene group having 2 to 4 carbon atoms, a cyclohexylene group or a dimethyl-cyclohexane-diyl group, B.sub.1 and B.sub.2 are the same or different and each may represent ##STR47## m and n are independently 0 or 1, and when m is 0, n is 0, R.sub.3 is an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, a naphthyl group or a naphthylalkyl group having 11 to 14 carbon atoms, A.sub.4 is a naphthyl group, and R.sub.4 is a halogen atom, a cyano group or a nitro group.

A photochromic composition comprising (A) 100 parts by weight of an epoxy compound having an epoxy group represented by general formula (I) and (B) 0.0001 to 10,000 parts by weight of a fulgide compound represented by general formula (II), and (C) 0.001 to 10 parts by weight, per 100 parts by weight of the epoxy compound (A), of a radical-polymerization initiator, ##STR51## wherein each of R.sup.1 and R.sup.4 is a hydrogen atom or a methyl group and R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 represent the same or different alkylene groups having 1 to 4 carbon atoms which may be substituted by hydroxyl group, or a group of ##STR52## wherein m and n are 0 or 1, ##STR53## wherein ##STR54## is a divalent aromatic hydrocarbon group containing a benzene group and fused rings of 2 or 3 benzene rings or containing a divalent unsaturated heterocyclic group having 5- to 7-membered rings containing 1 to 2 oxygen atoms, nitrogen atoms or sulfur atoms as ring-constituted atoms, or fused rings of said ring and a benzene ring, each of which may contain a member selected from halogen atoms, alkyl groups having 1 to 4 carbon atoms alkoxy groups having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, aryl groups having 6 to 10 carbon atoms, alkoxyaryl groups having 7 to 14 carbon atoms, such as aryl groups having 6 to 10 carbon atoms substituted by alkoxy groups having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, amino group, nitro group, and cyano group, R.sub.1 is an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, an aryl group having 6 to 10 carbon atoms, and a monovalent heterocyclic group having a 5- to 7-membered ring containing 1 to 2 oxygen atoms, nitrogen atoms or sulfur atoms as ring-constituted atoms or fused rings of the multi-membered ring and a benzene ring, ##STR55## is a norbornylidene group or an adamantylidene group, X is an oxygen atom, a group >N--R.sub.2, a group >N--A.sub.1 --B.sub.1 --(A.sub.2).sub.m --(B.sub.2).sub.n --R.sub.3, a group >N--A.sub.3 --A.sub.4 or a group >N--A.sub.3 --A.sub.4 in which R.sub.2 is a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms or an aryl group having 6 to 10 carbon atoms, A.sub.1, A.sub.2, or A.sub.3 are the same or different and each represents an alkylene group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms or an alkylidene group having 2 to 4 carbon atoms, a cyclohexylene group or a dimethyl-cyclohexane-diyl group, B.sub.1 and B.sub.2 are the same or different and each may represent ##STR56## m and n are independently 0 or 1, and when m is 0, n is 0, R.sub.3 is an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, a naphthyl group or a naphthylalkyl group having 11 to 14 carbon atoms, A.sub.4 is a naphthyl group, and R.sub.4 is a halogen atom, a cyano group or a nitro group.

A photochromic composition composed of (A) 100 parts by weight of a compound having at least one radical-polymerizable group and at lest one epoxy group in the molecular and having the following general formula ##STR57## wherein each of R.sup.1 and R.sup.4 is a hydrogen atom of a methyl group and R.sup.2 amd R.sup.3 represent an alkylene group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms which may be substituted by hydroxyl groups, or a group of ##STR58## wherein m and n are 0 or 1, (B) 0.001 to 10,000 parts by weight of a photochromic compound being composed of a combination of (1) a photochromic compound having the following formula ##STR59## wherein ##STR60## is a divalent aromatic hydrocarbon group or a divalent unsaturated heterocyclic group each of which may be substituted by a halogen atom, an ethyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, an alkoxy group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms or an aryl group having 6 to 10 carbon atoms, R.sup.1 is an alkyl group, an aryl group, or a monovalent heterocyclic group, ##STR61## is a norbornylidene group or an adamantylidene group, X is an oxygen atom, a group >N--R.sub.2, a group >N--A.sub.1 --B.sub.1 --(A.sub.2).sub.m --(B.sub.2).sub.n --R.sub.3, a group >N--A.sub.3 --A.sub.4 or a group >N--A.sub.3 --R.sub.4 in which R.sub.2 is a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group or an aryl group, A.sub.1, A.sub.2, or A.sub.3 are the same or different and each represents an alkylene group or an alkylidene group, a cycloalkylene group or an alkylcycloalkane-diyl group, B.sub.1 and B.sub.2 are the same or different and each may represent ##STR62## m and n are independently 0 or 1, and when m is 0, n is 0, R.sub.3 is an alkyl group a naphthyl group or a naphthylalkyl group, A.sub.4 is a naphthyl group, and R.sub.4 is a halogen atom, a cyano group or a nitro group and (2) a photochromic compound having the following formula ##STR63## wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are both hydrogen atoms, R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 are the same or different alkyl groups having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, or together may form a cicyclo (3,3,1)9-nonylidene group or a norbornylidene group, and ##STR64## is an aromatic hydrocarbon group which may be substituted by an alkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms or an alkoxy group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms.