Biodegradable copolymers, methods of producing them and their use

Abstract

The present invention relates to biodegradable polymers built-up of a) monoethylenically unsaturated dicarboxylic acids and/or the salts thereof, b) monoethylenically unsaturated monocarboxylic acids and/or the salts thereof, c) monounsaturated monomers which, after hydrolysis, can be converted to monomers with a hydroxyl group covalently bonded to the C-C-chain, and, optionally, d) further radically copolymerizable monomers, with the sum of the monomers according to a) to d) amounting to 100%. The present invention further relates to a process of producing said polymers by radical polymerization and hydrolysis in aqueous medium, and to the use of said polymers as additive or cobuilder in detergents and cleaning agents, in the pretreatment of cotton, as bleaching stabilizers, as auxiliary agent in textile printing and in the manufacture of leather, as well as in the inhibition of water hardness and as dispersing agent.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.