Polymeric composition

Abstract

The present invention relates to a radiation curable aqueous coating composition comprising a dispersion of a chain extended polyurethane which dispersion comprises (a) a polyurethane-urea polymer comprising (i) acryloyl groups present in an amount of at least 2.0 mmol per g of the polyurethane-urea polymer; and (ii) urea groups present in an amount of at least 0.35 milli-equivalents (meq) per g of the polyurethane-urea polymer; (b) optionally a multifunctional ethylenically unsaturated compound unreactive towards isocyanates, in an amount, where present, of up to 40% by weight of components (a) and (b); and (c) a neutralizing agent; where the polyurethane-urea polymer (component (a)) is obtained by (I) the reaction of at least the following polyurethane precursors: at least one polyisocyanate (a1), two or more polyols (a2) and at least one isocyanate reactive compound (a3) to obtain a polyurethane prepolymer, where the isocyanate and hydroxy groups on the polymer precursors (a1), (a2) and (a3) are present in a respective mole ratio (NCO to OH) of at least 1.35, and (II) by reacting the polyurethane prepolymer with an active hydrogen chain extending compound and optionally with water to obtain the polyurethane-urea polymer (a), where (a1) the amount of polyisocyanates (a1) is from 10 to 80% by weight; (a2) the two or more polyols being an Anionic Polyol A, a Polyether Polyol B and optionally a High MW NCO-Reactive Polyol C and optionally a Low MW NCO-Reactive Polyol D; (a3) the isocyanate reactive compounds are compounds having an average of less than 1.2 groups reactive towards isocyanate and an average of at least one acryloyl group, the compounds being other than (a2A), (a2B), (a2C) and (a2D) and where the amount of isocyanate reactive compound is from 5 to 60% by weight; where the weight % of components (a1), (a2A), (a2B), (a2C), (a2D), (a3) and (b) are calculated based on the total of components (a) and (b) being 100%.