Process for improving the crocking and color-fastness of pigment-printed fibrous sheets by irradiation

Claim 1

THE PROCESS FOR IMPROVING THE CROCKING AND COLORFASTNESS PROPERTIES OF PIGMENT-PRINTED SURFACES OF FIBROUS SHEET METARIAL IN WHICH THE PIGMENTED PRINTING COMPOSITION COMPRISES, BY WEIGHT, FROM 1 TO 6 PARTS OF A PIGMENT, FROM 40 TO 70 PARTS OF A RESINOUS CARRYING AGENT, AND FROM 10 TO 40 PARTS OF A BINDER FOR THE PIGMENT CONVERTIBLE BY HIGH ENERGY ELECTRONS TO A HIGHER MOLECULAR WEIGHT COMPOSITION, THE SAID RESINOUS CARRYING AGENT BEING SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF SATURATED ALKYD RESINS, OIL-MODIFIED SATURATED ALKYD RESINS, ETHYL, CELLULOSE, CELLULOSE ACETATE, CELLULOSE CAETOBUTYRATE, OIL-MODIFIED PHENOL-FORMALDEHYDE RESINS, UREA-FORMALDEHYDE RESINS, BUTYRATED UREA-FORMALDEHYDE RESINS, MALMINE-FORMALDEHYDE RESINS, AND ANILINE -FORMALDEHYDE RESINS, THE SAID BINDER BEING SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF STYRENE, VINYL TOLUENE, ETHYL ACRYLATE, N-BUTYL ARYLATE, ETHYLENE GLYCOL DIMETHACRYLATE, TETRAETHYLENE GLYCOL DIMETHACRYLATE, TETRAETHYLENE GLYCOL DIACRYLATE, ACRYLONITRILE, DIETHYLENE GLYCOL MALEATE, DIETHYLENE GLYCOL MALEATE ADIPATE, MIXTURES OF UNSATURATED ALKYD RESINS WITH OTHER COPOLYMERIZABLE MONOMERS, HOMOPOLYMERS OF BUTADIENE HOMOPOLYMERS OF CHLOROBUTADIENE, COPOLYMERS OF BUTADIENE-1,3 AND STYRENE, COPOLYMERS OF BUTADIENE-1,3 AND VINYL TOLUENE, COPOLYMERS OF BUTADIENE-1,3 AND ACRYLONITRILE, NATURAL RUBBER, AND MIXTURES OF THE AFORESAID BINDERS, WHICH PROCESS COMPRISES (1) CARRYING OUT THE PIGMENT PRINTING ON THE AFORESAID SHEET MATERIAL EMPLOYING THE ABOVE-DESCRIBED PIGMENTED PRINTING COMPOSITION IN THE FORM OF AN AQUEOUS SUSPENSION, (2) DRYING THE AFORESAID SHEET MATERIAL AND (3) THEREAFTER IRRADATING THE PIGMENT-PRINTED SURFACE WITH HIGH ENERGY ELECTRONS WITH AN IRRADIATION DOSE OF AT LEAST 1X106 R. WHILE SAID SHEET MATERIAL IS BEING PASSED THROUGH THE ELECTRONS THE SAID HIGH ENERGY ELECTRONS BEING ALLOWED TO IMPINGE ON THE SHEET MATERIAL TO CONVERT THE ABOVE-MENTIONED BINDER TO A HIGHER MOLECULAR WEIGHT COMPOSITION.