Alkyl poly(oxyalkylene) esters of acrylate oligomers and copolymers thereof for thickening purposes

A compound having the formula ##STR10## wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.2, and R.sup.3, independently, are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and alkyl, alkylaryl and polycyclic alkyl groups having 1 to 30 carbon atoms;

• and
• x is zero or an integer from 1 to 5;
• and
• m, n, and p, independently, are zero or a number having an average value of up to 60 or more, provided that at least one of m, n, or p is at least 2 and provided that the R.sup.1, R.sup.2, or R.sup.3 group, when m, n, or p, respectively, is at least 2, is one of said alkyl, and polycyclic alkyl groups having at least 8 to 30 carbon atoms.

A copolymer obtainable by copolymerization of a monomer system comprising

• (1) at least about 10 weight percent of a copolymerizable ethylenically unsaturated monomer or mixture of monomers selected from the group consisting of methacrylic acid, acrylic acid, itaconic acid, acryloxypropionic acid, maleic acid, fumaric acid, citraconic acid and crotonic acid;
• (2) about 0.5 to 30 weight percent of at least one monomer of the formula ##STR11## wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.2, and R.sup.3, independently, are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and alkyl, alkylaryl and polycyclic alkyl groups having 1 to 30 carbon atoms;
• x is zero or an integer from 1 to 5;
• R' is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and C.sub.1 -C.sub.2 alkyl;
• and
• the expressions (CHR'CH.sub.2 O).sub.m, (CHR'CH.sub.2 O).sub.n, and (CHR'CH.sub.2 O).sub.p mean that the groups (CHR'CH.sub.2 O).sub.m, (CHR'CH.sub.2 O).sub.n, and (CHR'CH.sub.2 O).sub.p, respectively, embrace oxyethylene, oxypropylene, and oxybutylene groups arranged in any order;
• (3) optionally at least one compound of the formula
• H.sub.2 C.dbd.CYZ
• wherein
• (a) Y is H and Z is COOR", C.sub.6 H.sub.4 R"', CN, Cl, OC(O)R"", CH.dbd.CH.sub.2 or CONH.sub.2 ;
• (b) Y is C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl and Z is COOR", C.sub.6 H.sub.4 R"', CN, CH.dbd.CH.sub.2 or CONH.sub.2 ;
• (c) Y and Z are Cl;
• and
• R" is C.sub.1 -C.sub.8 alkyl or C.sub.2 -C.sub.8 hydroxyalkyl or lower alkoxy(C.sub.2 -C.sub.8)alkyl;
• R"' is H, Cl, Br or C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl;
• and
• R"" is C.sub.1 -C.sub.8 alkyl;
• and
• (4) zero to 1.0 weight percent of a polyethylenically unsaturated monomer.