Hydrophilic-hydrophobic derivatives of polygalactomannans containing tertiary amine functionality

An aqueous fluid comprising a polygalactomannan containing three different ether substituents wherein the polygalactomannan is a dialkylaminoalkyl ether - hydroxyalkyl ether - long aliphatic chain ether of a polygalactomannan wherein each of the alkyl groups in the dialkylaminoalkyl ether substituent contains from 1 to 6 carbon atoms and wherein the total number of carbon atoms in the alkyl groups does not exceed 12, wherein the alkyl group of the hydroxyalkyl ether substituent contains 2 to 4 carbon atoms, and wherein the aliphatic chain in the long aliphatic chain ether substituent contains 8 to 28 carbon atoms with or without a hydroxy group substituent.

A process for reducing the viscosity of an aqueous fluid thickened with a polygalactomannan containing three different ether substituents wherein the polygalactomannan is a dialkylaminoalkyl ether - hydroxyalkyl ether - long aliphatic chain ether of a polygalactomannan wherein each of the alkyl groups in the dialkylaminoalkyl ether substituent contains from 1 to 6 carbon atoms and wherein the total number of carbon atoms in the alkyl groups does not exceed 12, wherein the alkyl group of the hydroxyalkyl ether substituent contains 2 to 4 carbon atoms, and wherein the aliphatic chain in the long aliphatic chain ether substituent contains 8 to 28 carbon atoms with or without a hydroxy group substituent which comprises adding to the aqueous fluid an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal salt of hypochlorous acid or a chlorinated isocyanurate.