Patent ID: 6184263
Filing Date: 2001-02-06
Classification: B41J,G03F,Y10S

Abstract:
A process which comprises the steps of (a) providing a composition which comprises a mixture of (A) a first component comprising a polymer having terminal end groups and monomer repeat units, at least some of said monomer repeat units having at least one photosensitivity-imparting group thereon which enables crosslinking or chain extension of the polymer upon exposure to actinic radiation, said polymer having a first degree of photosensitivity-imparting group substitution measured in milliequivalents of photosensitivity-imparting group per gram of polymer, said polymer having monomer repeat units (a) of the general formula ##STR120##wherein x is an integer of 0 or 1, P is a substituent which imparts photosensitivity to the polymer, a, b, c, and d are each integers of 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4, provided that at least one of a, b, c, and d is equal to or greater than 1 in at least some of the monomer repeat units of the polymer, A is ##STR121## ##STR122##or mixtures thereof, and n is an integer representing the number of repeating monomer units; (b) of the general formula ##STR123##wherein x is an integer of 0 or 1, P is a substituent which imparts photosensitivity to the polymer, a, b, c, and d are each integers of 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4, provided that at least one of a, b, c, and d is equal to or greater than 1 in at least some of the monomer repeat units of the polymer, A is ##STR124## ##STR125##or mixtures thereof, and n is an integer representing the number of repeating monomer units; (c) of the general formula ##STR126##wherein x is an integer of 0 or 1, P is a substituent which imparts photosensitivity to the polymer, a, b, c, and d are each integers of 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4, provided that at least one of a, b, c, and d is equal to or greater than 1 in at least some of the monomer repeat units of the polymer, A is ##STR127##or mixtures thereof, and n is an integer representing the number of repeating monomer units; (d) of the general formula ##STR128##wherein x is an integer of 0 or 1, P is a substituent which imparts photosensitivity to the polymer, a, b, c, and d are each integers of 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4, provided that at least one of a, b, c, and d is equal to or greater than 1 in at least some of the monomer repeat units of the polymer, A is ##STR129##or mixtures thereof, and n is an integer representing the number of repeating monomer units; (e) of the general formula ##STR130##wherein x is an integer of 0 or 1, P is a substituent which imparts photosensitivity to the polymer, a, b, c, and d are each integers of 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4, provided that at least one of a, b, c, and d is equal to or greater than 1 in at least some of the monomer repeat units of the polymer, A is ##STR131##or mixtures thereof, and n is an integer representing the number of repeating monomer units; (f) of the general formula ##STR132##wherein x is an integer of 0 or 1, P is a substituent which imparts photosensitivity to the polymer, a, b, c, and d are each integers of 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4, provided that at least one of a, b, c, and d is equal to or greater than 1 in at least some of the monomer repeat units of the polymer, A is ##STR133##wherein w is an integer of from 1 to about 20, or mixtures thereof, and n is an integer representing the number of repeating monomer units; (g) of the general formula ##STR134##wherein x is an integer of 0 or 1, P is a substituent which imparts photosensitivity to the polymer, a, b, c, and d are each integers of 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4, provided that at least one of a, b, c, and d is equal to or greater than 1 in at least some of the monomer repeat units of the polymer, A is ##STR135## ##STR136##or mixtures thereof, and n is an integer representing the number of repeating monomer units; or (h) of the general formula ##STR137##wherein x is an integer of 0 or 1, P is a substituent which imparts photosensitivity to the polymer, a, b, c, and d are each integers of 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4, provided that at least one of a, b, c, and d is equal to or greater than 1 in at least some of the monomer repeat units of the polymer, A is ##STR138## ##STR139## ##STR140##or mixtures thereof, and n is an integer representing the number of repeating monomer units, and (B) a second component which comprises either (1) a polymer having a second degree of photosensitivity-imparting group substitution measured in milliequivalents of photosensitivity-imparting group per gram of polymer lower than the first degree of photosensitivity-imparting group substitution, wherein said second degree of photosensitivity-imparting group substitution may be zero, wherein the mixture of the first component and the second component has a third degree of photosensitivity-imparting group substitution measured in milliequivalents of photosensitivity-imparting group per gram of mixture which is lower than the first degree of photosensitivity-imparting group substitution and higher than the second degree of photosensitivity-imparting group substitution, or (2) a reactive diluent having at least one photosensitivity-imparting group per molecule and having a fourth degree of photosensitivity-imparting group substitution measured in milliequivalents of photosensitivity-imparting group per gram of reactive diluent, wherein the mixture of the first component and the second component has a fifth degree of photosensitivity-imparting group substitution measured in milliequivalents of photosensitivity-imparting group per gram of mixture which is higher than the first degree of photosensitivity-imparting group substitution and lower than the fourth degree of photosensitivity-imparting group substitution; wherein the weight average molecular weight of the mixture is from about 10,000 to about 50,000; and wherein the third or fifth degree of photosensitivity-imparting group substitution is from about 0.25 to about 2 milliequivalents of photosensitivity-imparting groups per gram of mixture; and (b) causing the first component polymer to become crosslinked or chain extended through the photosensitivity-imparting groups.