Polymer particles, thickener, and composition

Abstract

The present invention provides polymer particles capable of being dissolved in a dissolving medium without generating an unmixed lump and capable of uniformly improving the viscosity of a composition, and a thickener using the polymer particles. The polymer particles of the present invention have a number average particle diameter of 1 to 50 μm and a coefficient of variation in a number-based particle size distribution of 30% or more, wherein where the weight average molecular weight of the whole polymer particles is defined as A, the weight average molecular weight of small particles having a cumulative number percentage of 5% or less counted from the smaller diameter side in the number-based particle size distribution of the polymer particles is defined as B, and the weight average molecular weight of large particles having a particle diameter of 5 times or more the number average particle diameter of the polymer particles is defined as C, polymer particles satisfy the following formulas (1) and (2). 0.90≤(B/A)<1.0  Formula (1) (C/B)<1.25  Formula (2)

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.