Methods for using ink jettable, UV-curable compositions

1. A method for forming an ink jet image comprising:

providing a substrate, and

ink jetting an ink jettable and UV-curable composition onto the substrate in an imagewise fashion to form an ink jetted image on the substrate, the ink jettable and UV-curable composition comprising:

a reactive polymer comprising: (a1) at least 40 mol % of recurring units comprising pendant metal complexing water-solubilizing groups, (b) at least 5 mol % of recurring units comprising a pendant group capable of crosslinking via [2+2] photocycloaddition, and optionally (c) at least 1 mol % of recurring units comprising a pendant amide, hydroxyl, or lactam group, or a pendant precursor moiety for the pendant amide, hydroxyl, or lactam group, all amounts based on the total recurring units in the reactive polymer; and

optionally, one or more of the following components:

a humectant,

a dye or pigment colorant,

an anionic or nonionic surfactant,

a water-soluble or water-dispersible acrylic polymer, and

a water-soluble or water-dispersible polyurethane, and

UV-curing the ink jetted image to form a UV-cured ink jet image on the substrate.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

contacting the UV-cured ink jet image with reducible metal ions or metal nanoparticles to form a UV-cured metallized image on the substrate,

if the UV-cured metallized image comprises reducible metal ions, contacting the UV-cured metallized image with a metal ion reducing agent, and

optionally, electrolessly plating the UV-cured metallized image on the substrate.

3. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

UV-curing the ink jetted image at a wavelength of at least 150 nm and up to and including 450 nm.

4. The method of claim 2 , comprising:

contacting the UV-cured ink jet image with reducible silver ions or silver nanoparticles to form a UV-cured metallized image on the substrate,

if the UV-cured metallized image comprises reducible silver ions, contacting the UV-cured metallized image with a silver ion reducing agent, and

electrolessly plating the UV-cured metallized image on the substrate.

5. The method of claim 4 , comprising electrolessly plating the UV-cured metallized image on the substrate with copper, gold, silver, nickel, palladium, or platinum.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reactive polymer comprises at least 5 mol % and up to and including 50 mol % of the (a1) recurring units, based on the total recurring units in the reactive polymer.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reactive polymer comprises at least 5 mol % and up to and including 50 mol % of the (b) recurring units, based on the total recurring units in the reactive polymer.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reactive polymer comprises at least 1 mole % and up to and including 90 mol % of (c) recurring units comprising pendant hydroxyl, amide, or carboxylic acid groups, based on the total recurring units in the reactive polymer.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the (b) recurring units of the reactive polymer comprise:

(i) a photosensitive —C(═O)—CR═CR 1 —Y group wherein R and R 1 are independently hydrogen or an alkyl group having 1 to 7 carbon atoms, a 5- to 6-membered cycloalkyl group, an alkoxy group having 1 to 7 carbon atoms, a phenyl group, or a phenoxy group, and Y is an aryl or heteroaryl group;

(ii) a photosensitive, non-aromatic unsaturated carbocyclic group;

(iii) a photosensitive, aromatic or non-aromatic heterocyclic group comprising a carbon-carbon double bond that is conjugated with an electron withdrawing group;

(iv) a photosensitive non-aromatic unsaturated heterocyclic group comprising one or more amide groups that are conjugated with a carbon-carbon double bond, which photosensitive non-aromatic unsaturated heterocyclic group is linked to the water-soluble backbone at an amide nitrogen atom; or

(v) a photosensitive substituted or unsubstituted 1,2-diarylethylene group.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ink jettable and UV-curable composition further comprises a humectant that is chosen from at least one of the following groups of compounds:

(1) polyhydric alcohols;

(2) polyoxygenated polyols and their derivatives;

(3) sulfur-containing polyol compounds;

(4) cyclic lactams; and

(5) cyclic ureas.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ink jettable and UV-curable composition further comprises a pigment colorant that has a median particle diameter of less than 150 nm and more likely less than 100 nm, in an amount of at least 0.1 weight % and up to and including 30 weight %, based on the total weight of the ink jettable and UV-curable composition.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ink jettable and UV-curable composition further comprises a nonionic surfactant.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ink jettable and UV-curable composition further comprises a water-soluble or water-dispersible polyurethane.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ink jettable and UV-curable composition comprises a complex of reducible silver ions or silver nanoparticles with the reactive polymer.