Radiation curable cellulose compositions

Claim 1

A radiation-curable composition comprising cellulose esters having an inherent viscosity of from about 0.01 to about 2.0, modified with up to two ethylenically unsaturated carboxylate groups per anhydroglucose unit, said groups being selected from 60 ,β-unsaturated carboxylate groups of the formula ##STR4## and β-alkylamino or β-arylamino containing carboxylate groups of the formula ##STR5## wherein R is selected from H, and methyl, and R' and R" are the same or different and selected from alkyl of 1-8 carbons which may be mono-substituted with hydroxyl, phenyl, phenyl substituted with one alkyl group of 1- 4 carbons, Cl, Br, or CN, aralkyl wherein the alkyl portion is from 1- 4 carbons, and R' and R" taken together may form a cycloalkyl ring including the N, or may form a morpholino ring, wherein from 10 to 75 mole percent of said groups contain the β-alkylamino or β-arylamino moiety, and at least one ethylenically unsaturated monomer selected from α ,β-unsaturated carboxylates selected from acrylates, methacrylates, and crotonates, of monohydric and polyhydric alcohols which may be substituted with hydroxy or alkoxy groups, acrylonitrile, and styrene, the weight ratio of cellulose ester to unsaturated monomer being from 1/1 to 10/1.