Hydrophobically modified alkylene oxide polymer mixture

A method of preparing a hydrophobically modified ethylene oxide urethane polymer blend comprising the step of contacting under reactive conditions, a) a water-soluble polyethylene glycol;

• b) a stoichiometric excess of a diisocyanate relative to the polyethylene glycol;
• a c1) a first hydrophobic compound functionalized with a secondary or a tertiary amine or a quaternary ammonium salt;
• and c2) a second hydrophobic compound of structure Ia, to form the hydrophobically modified ethylene oxide urethane polymer, wherein the hydrophobic compound of structure Ia is as follows:
• where R1 is from C1-C10-alkyl;
• R2 is from C1-C6-alkyl;
• m is from 5 to 40;
• and n is from 0 to 50, with the proviso that when m is from 5 to 9, n is from 0 to 10, and wherein the mole:mole ratio of first hydrophobic compound to second hydrophobic compound is in the range of from 15:85 to 75:25.

A composition comprising a hydrophobically modified alkylene oxide polymer co-endcapped with first and second hydrophobic groups, wherein the first hydrophobic group is functionalized with a secondary amine or a salt thereof, or a tertiary amine or a salt thereof;

• and the second hydrophobic group is represented by structure I:
• wherein the dotted line represents the point of attachment of the hydrophobic group of structure I to the alkylene oxide polymer backbone;
• where R1 is from C1-C10-alkyl;
• R2 is from C1-C6-alkyl;
• m is from 5 to 40;
• and n is from 0 to 50, with the proviso that when m is from 5 to 9, n is from 0 to 10, wherein the hydrophobically modified alkylene oxide polymer is a hydrophobically modified ethylene oxide urethane polymer, and wherein the mole:mole ratio of first hydrophobic groups to second hydrophobic groups is in the range of from 15:85 to 75:25.