Polymethacrylate esters, the ester groups of which in the .alpha. and optionally also in the .omega. position differ from the ester groups in the chain

A polymethacrylate ester of the general formula ##STR10## wherein R.sup.1 are the same or different and represent alkyl groups with 1 to 8 carbon atoms,

• R.sup.2 represents a C.sub.2 -C.sub.30 alkyl group, an --R.sup.4 OH group, wherein R.sup.4 is a divalent aliphatic carbon group with 2 to 20 carbon atoms, or a --(CH.sub.n H.sub.2n O--) .sub.b R.sup.5 group, wherein R.sup.5 is a hydrogen, alkyl or an alkaryl group,
• n is a number from 2 to 18 and b is a number not less than 1,
• G represents the R.sup.1 groups or R.sup.2 groups,
• R.sup.3 represents the group of a known chain regulator, the R.sup.3 group being free of active hydrogen atoms, and
• a is a number which, on the average, is not less than 4, with the proviso that the boiling point of the R.sup.2 OH alcohol is higher than that of the R.sup.1 OH alcohol.