Polymers with hydrophobe bunches
AssigneeUnion Carbide Corporation
InventorsKenneth L. Hoy, Richard C. Hoy
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Abstract
A water-soluble, thermoplastic, organic polymer is disclosed having segments of bunched monovalent hydrophobic groups. These polymers provide superior thickening and leveling in aqueous systems, through micelle-like associations, and aid suspension of particulate materials in non-aqueous systems.
Claims40
A water-soluble, thermoplastic, organic polymer having a weight average molecular weight of at least about 10,000 which comprises hydrophobic segments, each containing at least one monovalent hydrophobic group covalently bonded to the polymer, wherein the polymer has an amount of hydrophobe bunching comprising at least two monovalent hydrophobic groups per hydrophobic segment, sufficient to provide for enhanced thickening of aqueous solutions containing the polymer.
A process for producing a water-soluble, thermoplastic organic polymer having a weight average molecular weight of at least about 10,000, which comprises either:
- (a) bonding (1) functional group containing hydrophobic reactants having a hydrophobe bunch of at least two monovalent hydrophobic groups with (2) a water-soluble polymer reactant containing a complementary functional group whereby said hydrophobe bunch is covalently bonded to the polymer;
- or
- (b) interreacting (1) a functional hydrophobic reactant having a hydrophobe bunch of at least two monovalent hydrophobic groups with (2) a complementary functional, water-soluble prepolymer or monomer whereby the two are copolymerized to provide a water-soluble polymer containing said hydrophobe bunches;
- or
- (c) interreacting (1) a functional hydrophobic reactant having a monovalent hydrophobic group with (2) a complementary functional water-soluble prepolymer whereby the two are copolymerized to provide a water-soluble polymer having at least one hydrophobe bunch containing at least two monovalent hydrophobic groups.
A process for producing a thickened aqueous solution by providing a water solution with an effective thickening amount of a water-soluble, thermoplastic, organic polymer having a weight average molecular weight of at least about 10,000 which comprises segments each containing at least one monovalent hydrophobic group covalently bonded to the polymer, wherein the polymer has an amount of hydrophobe bunching comprising at least two monovalent hydrophobic groups per hydrophobic segment, sufficient to provide for enhanced thickening of aqueous solutions containing the polymer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.