Manufacturing polyacrylate esters with long-chain hydrocarbon and polyoxyalkylene groups

A method of manufacturing a polyacrylate ester having long-chain hydrocarbon and polyoxyalkylene groups comprising transesterifying a polyacrylate alkyl ester the alkyl groups of which contain 1 to 4 carbon atoms and which is obtained by free radial polymerization, with a mixture of

• a) alcohol selected from at least one member of the group consisting of
• a1) saturated aliphatic alcohols having 4 to 22 carbon atoms,
• a2) unsaturated aliphatic alcohols having 8 to 22 carbon atoms,
• a3) alkyl phenols, the alkyl groups of which in each case have 8 to 12 carbon atoms, or their oxyalkylation products containing 1 to 3 oxyalkylene groups, selected from the group consisting of oxyethylene groups, oxypropylene groups, and a combination thereof, and
• b) polyoxyalkylene monool of the average formula
• R.sup.1 O--(C.sub.n H.sub.2n O--).sub.x H
• wherein
• R.sup.1 is the hydrocarbon group of a starter alcohol, R.sup.1 OH,
• n is 2, 3 or 4 and has an average value of 2 to 3 in the average polyoxyalkylene group
• x has an average value of 4 to 50 in the average polyoxyalkylene group, and
• the molar ratio of a:b is 1:11 to 28:1, in such an amount that up to 70% of the ester groups are reacted, in the presence of a transesterification catalyst and at a temperature of about 70.degree. to 160.degree. C.