Process for preparing hydrophilic resins

A process for preparing a radiation-curable hydrophilic resin is provided. The process comprises reacting a polyether-diamine having 3 to 20 ether linkages per one molecule (A) with a dicarboxylic acid (B) to give a polyamide having amino groups on its molecular terminals (C) followed by reacting C with an acrylic or methacrylic acid halide (D) or an epoxy-containing vinyl monomer to introduce vinyl groups into the molecular terminals of C. The resulting resin cures when irradiated with electron beams (dose rate 0.1 to 20 Mrad/sec) or light (wave length 3000 to 5000 A). Before the cure, the resin is water-soluble while after the cure it is still hydrophilic but insoluble in water due to the formed cross-linkages. Therefore it is useful for the surface treatment of textiles and the production of relief images. In one example, 416 parts of A is reacted with 306 parts of B to give C, which is then reacted with 90.4 parts of D to give the resin. A nylon taffeta is treated with an aqueous solution of the resin and then irradiated with electron beams (absorbed dose 8 Mrad). The treated cloth has durable water-affinity and antistatic properties. (Kaichi, S.)