Polymers and the use thereof as lubricating agents in the production of alkali metal films

An alkali metal film having a first surface and a second surface, and comprising on at least one of the first and second surfaces, a thin layer of a lubricating agent, the lubricating agent consisting of a polymer of Formula I:

• wherein,
• m and n denote the number of repeated units A and B, respectively, in the polymer;
• m being a positive whole number and n being a positive whole number or zero when the repeated unit B is absent, and where m and n are selected so that the molecular weight of the polymer of Formula I is in the range from 1000 to 106;
• R1 is independently at each occurrence selected from linear or branched monovalent hydrocarbon radicals;
• R2 is independently at each occurrence selected from —CH2CH2O— and —CH2CH2CH2O—, where R2 is bound to N by a carbon atom, or R2 is absent and N is covalently bound to R4;
• R3 is independently at each occurrence selected from the linear or branched monovalent hydrocarbon radicals;
• R4 is independently at each occurrence a polyether residue of formula —[CH(R5)CH2O]sCH3, wherein 5≤s≤100;
• and
• R5 is independently at each occurrence a hydrogen atom or a CH3 group.