Preparation of high molecular weight polysuccinimides
AssigneeAquero Company
InventorC. Steven Sikes
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Abstract
Described are methods of production of polysuccinimides having molecular weights up to 200,000 daltons and higher. The polysuccinimides of the invention are essentially unbranched and uncrosslinked. They can be modified by crosslinking, ring-opening, and/or other functionalization, if desired, to form gelling materials of superior performance. The high Mw polysuccinimides are also particularly useful as thickening agents, viscosity modifiers, emollients, humectants and in other applications that are known in the art to be serviced most effectively by molecules of higher molecular weight.
Claims19
A method of preparing a polysuccinimide polymer, comprising:
- (a) forming a solution of aspartic acid and a water soluble polymerization catalyst in an aqueous medium containing a volatile protic acid selected from the group consisting of hydrochloric acid, hydrobromic acid, and hydroiodic acid;
- (b) drying the solution to give a solid residue;
- and
- (c) heating the residue at a temperature and for an amount of time sufficient to produce a polysuccinimide polymer.
A polysuccinimide polymer produced by the steps of:
- (a) forming a solution of aspartic acid and a water soluble polymerization catalyst in an aqueous medium containing a volatile protic acid selected from the group consisting of hydrochloric acid, hydrobromic acid, and hydroiodic acid;
- (b) drying the solution to give a solid residue;
- and
- (c) heating the residue at a temperature and for an amount of time sufficient to produce a polysuccinimide polymer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.