Associative Thickeners For Aqueous Preparations

A polymer compound comprising at least one end group of the general formula (I)

• wherein:
• R1 is independently at each occurrence C4-C40-alkyl, C3-C10-cycloalkyl, C6-C30-aryl, C7-C40-aralkyl, C7-C40-alkylaryl or —(R2—O)n—R3;
• R2, R4 are independently at each occurrence C2-C10-alkylene, C6-C10-arylene, or C7-C10-aralkylene;
• R3 is H, C1-C40-alkyl, C3-C10-cycloalkyl, C6-C30-aryl, C7-C40-aralkyl or C7-C40-alkylaryl;
• n is 1 to 200;
• m is 1 to 6;
• p is 0 to 200;
• * represents linkage of the at least one end group to the polymer compound;
• with the proviso that, when p=0, the at least one end group, rather than via O, may also be linked to the rest of the compound via NR5, wherein R5 is selected from H and C1-C30-alkyl, and
• wherein * comprises a structural unit selected from esters, amides, imides, urethanes, ureas, amines, ethers, or carbonates.