US 2025/0326993 A1 · BIODEGRADABLE GRAFT POLYMERS AS DYE TRANSFER INHIBITORS

Abstract

Novel graft polymers having a polymer backbone (A) as a graft base having polymeric sidechains (B) grafted thereon. The polymeric sidechains (B) are obtainable by polymerization of optionally (B1) at least one vinyl ester monomer, at least one, preferably a least two nitrogen-containing monomer (B2), and optionally further monomer(s) (B3). The polymer backbone (A) comprises polyalkylene-oxide-derived moieties and moieties derived from lactone(s) and/or hydroxy acid(s), those moieties being mixed such that the polymer backbone contains ester-functions within the polymer chains. Process for obtaining such a graft polymer, the process is preferably carried out by free-radical polymerization. Use of such a graft polymer within, for example, fabric and home care products. Compositions and products, such as fabric and home care products, containing such graft polymer. The graft polymers are preferably employed in cleaning compositions as dye transfer inhibitor.

A graft polymer consisting of:

(A) 20 to 95%, preferably 50 to 90%, more preferably 60 to 90%, even more preferably 65 to 85%, most preferably 70 bis 85% of a polymer backbone as a graft base,
which comprises at least one sub-unit (a1) and at least one sub-unit (a2), wherein
(a1) is a unit comprising, preferably essentially consisting of, moieties derived from at least one alkylene oxide monomer and/or at least one polyalkylene oxide-polymer having two hydroxy-end-groups, the alkylene oxide monomer selected from the group of C2- to C10-alkylene oxides, preferably C2 to C5-alkylene oxides,
(a2) is a unit comprising, preferably consisting of, moieties derived from at least one lactone and/or at least one hydroxy acid, such sub-unit (a2) being a moiety derived from a single lactone and/or hydroxy-acid or being oligo-or-polymeric units consisting of at least one type of lactone and/or at least one type of hydroxy acid,
wherein preferably the at least one lactone and/or hydroxy acid is/are selected from the groups i) and/or ii), with
i) lactone(s), i.e. cyclic esters, starting with α-lactone (three ring atoms) followed by β-lactone (four ring atoms), γ-lactone (five ring atoms) and so on;
such lactones preferably being β-propiolactone, g-butyrolactone, δ-valerolactone, g-valerolactone, e-caprolactone, d-decalactone, g-decalactone, e-decalactone;
preferably caprolactone;
and
ii) hydroxy acid(s), which may be derived from any lactone by hydrolyzation, specifically from any lactone within group i) before, specifically an α-, β- or γ-hydroxy acid derived from the corresponding lactone by hydrolyzation, and lactic acid, glycolic acid, 4-hydroxybutanoic acid, 6-hydroxy hexanoic acid, 12-hydroxy stearic acid, citric acid;
preferably lactic acid or caprolactone, more preferably caprolactone,
wherein the polymer backbone is
a) obtained
(A1) by co-polymerization of at least one sub-unit (a1) and at least one sub-unit (a2), wherein optionally at least one oligomer or polymer made from at least one sub-unit (a1) or at least one sub-unit (a2) can be employed within the copolymerization of at least one sub-unit (a1) and at least one sub-unit (a2) as well;
(A2) by first oligo-/polymerizing sub-unit(s) (a2) and then polymerizing the product with sub-unit(s) (a1);
or
(A3) By first oligo-/polymerizing sub-unit(s) (a1) and then co-polymerizing the product with sub-unit(s) (a2);
(A4) by first providing an oligo- or polymeric sub-unit (a1) which is bears an end-cap on one side, preferably is etherified with alcohols, more preferably short-chain alcohols C1 to C4, which—as starter-block—is thereafter reacted with at least one sub-unit (a2) and optionally at least one sub-unit (a1)—wherein the sub-unit (a1) may be different to that/those in the starter block or may be arranged in a different order compared to those in the starter block—to attach to the non-end capped side of the starter block a new block comprising moieties from the sub-units employed for the (co-) polymerization, thereby obtaining a di-block-structure of [end-cap]-[sub-unit(s) (a1)]-[sub-unit(s) (a2)], or [end-cap]-[sub-unit(s) (a1)]-[random-{sub-unit(s) (a2)-sub unit(s) (a1)}];
wherein in case more than one sub-unit (a1) and/or more than one sub-unit (a2) are present already in an employed oligomer or polymer, those sub-units can be arranged in any order within such employed oligomer or polymer, and
wherein in case more than one sub-unit (a1) and/or more than one sub-unit (a2) are present for the polymerization, those sub-units (and the optional oligomer/polymers if employed) can be arranged in any order within the obtained backbone;
and wherein in case of (A1), (A2) and (A3) the use of a starter molecule is optional;
b) selected from
(A1) a backbone consisting of a randomly arranged order of monomeric, oligomeric and/or polymeric (a1)-sub-units and monomeric, oligomeric and/or polymeric (a2)-sub-units, with more than one sub-unit (a1) and/or more than one sub-unit (a2) being present;
(A2) a backbone consisting of oligo- or polymerized sub-units (a2) as an inner block and two outer blocks of oligomeric and/or polymeric (a1)-sub-units, defined as “-[block of (a1)]-[block of (a2)]-[block of (a1)]-”, and also possibly comprising higher block-polymers such as 5-, 7- and 9-etc. blocks where at the outside of the tri-block structure further blocks of (a1) and (a2) are connected, such as a penta-block “[block of (a1)]-[block of (a2)]-[block of (a1)]-[block of (a2)]-[block of (a1)]-[block of (a2)]-[block of (a1)]” and so on;
and
(A3) a backbone consisting of and inner block of oligomeric and/or polymeric (a1)-sub-units and two outer blocks of oligo- or polymeric sub-units (a2), in the form of at least an tri-block-polymer defined as “-[block of (a2)]-[block of (a1)]-[block of (a2)]-”,
(A4) a backbone consisting of
a first block with
(i) on one end an end-cap-such end-cap being a C1 to C18-, preferably C1-C4-alkyl-group attached to said first block via an ether-function;
and
(ii) an oligo- or polymeric sub-unit (a1);
and
a second block which is attached to said first block at the opposite end of said first block (“opposite” in relation to the end-cap on said first block) via an ether or ester-function, said second block being composed of at least one sub-unit (a2) and optionally at least one sub-unit (a1), wherein the optional sub-unit(s) (a1) in said second block may be different to that/those in the first block or may be arranged in a different order compared to those in the first block, and the order of the sub-unit(s) (A1) and (a2) may be also in any order, including random structure,
such di-block-structure having as an idealized structure in case of using only sub-unit(s) (a2) for the second block:
[end-cap]-[sub-unit(s) (a1)]-[sub-unit(s) (a2)] or in case of using sub-unit(s) (a1) and (a2) for the second block:
[end-cap]-[sub-unit(s) (a1)]-[random-{sub-unit(s) (a2)-sub unit(s) (a1)}];
and wherein in case of (A1), (A2) and (A3) the use of a starter molecule is optional;
and
(B) 5 to 80%, preferably 10 to 50%, more preferably 10 to 40%, even more preferably 15 to 35 and most preferably 15 to 30%, of polymeric sidechains (B) grafted onto the polymer backbone (A), wherein said polymeric sidechains (B) are obtainable by (co-) polymerization of
optionally (B1) at least one vinyl ester monomer,
at least one, preferably a least two nitrogen-containing monomer (B2), and
optionally further monomer(s) (B3), and optionally further monomers,
with all percentages as weight percent in relation to the total weight of the graft polymer.

40 more elements

Biodegradable graft polymers as dye transfer inhibitors

Life of this patent

Biodegradable graft polymers as dye transfer inhibitors

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims15