Polymer suitable as a thickener

A process for preparing a polymer, the process comprising reacting a compound of formula

• R1—X—(C═O)—NH—R2—NCO(II)
• and a compound of formula
• HO—POA-R3—(O—POA-R4)n(III),
• wherein
• R1 represents an organic group terminated by a hydrocarbyl group having 6 to 50 carbon atoms,
• X represents O or N—R5, wherein R5 represents a hydrogen atom or a hydrocarbyl group having 1 to 30 carbon atoms,
• R2 represents an aliphatic hydrocarbyl group having 4 to 40 carbon atoms,
• POA represents a polyoxyalkylene group,
• R3 represents an organic group having 2 to 40 carbon atoms,
• n is an integer from 1 to 6,
• R4 is independently selected from
• —(C═O)—NH—R2—NH—(C═O)—X—R1,
• —(C═O)—NH—R1,
• —R6, wherein R6 represents a hydrogen atom or an aliphatic or aromatic group having 1 to 24 carbon atoms;
• and
• the polymer comprising structural units according to formula (I),
• R1—X—(C═O)—NH—R2—NH—(C═O)—O—POA-R3—(O—POA-R4)n
• wherein the polymer has an average of at least 1.8 end groups R1 per molecule, a number average molecular weight in the range of 2000 to 100000 g/mol (Daltons),
• a polydispersity in the range of 1.0 to 5.0, wherein a quotient of the polydispersity divided by (n+1) is less than 1.0,
• with the proviso that the polymer is not the reaction product of a) the mono-adduct of isophorone diisocyanate with 1-dodecanol and b) a polyether based on glycerol and a mixture of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide with an OH number of 18 mg KOH/g.