Process for preparing polysaccharides with alkyl-aryl hydrophobes and latex compositions containing same

A process for preparing an alkyl-aryl hydrophobically modified hydroxyethyl cellulose with a hydroxyethyl MS of 3 to 5 which comprises the steps of:

• (a) reacting hydroxyethyl cellulose or a hydroxyethyl cellulose precursor with a molecular weight of 15,000 to 1,200,000 under alkaline conditions with from 0.09 to 2.74% by weight of an alkyl-aryl glycidyl ether having one aryl ring and a total of from about 10 to about 24 carbon atoms at a temperature between 20° C. to 125° C. for about 0.5 hour to about 12 hours in the presence of an aqueous diluent;
• (b) cooling the reaction mixture;
• (c) neutralizing the reaction mixture;
• (d) slurrying the reaction mixture in acetone;
• and
• (e) recovering a purified alkyl-aryl hydrophobically modified hydroxyethyl cellulose.

A process for producing an alkyl-aryl hydrophobically modified hydroxyethyl cellulose having improved leveling properties within an aqueous protective coating composition which comprises the steps of:

• (a) adding a t-butyl alcohol solution of an alkyl-aryl glycidyl ether selected from the group of consisting nonylphenyl glycidyl ether and dodecylphenyl glycidyl ether to an alkalized cellulose having a molecular weight of 15,000 to 1,200,000 to prepare a reaction mixture;
• (b) heating the reaction mixture to between 20° C. to 125° C. and allowing the glycidyl ether to react with the slurry of alkalized cellulose for about 1 to 6 hours;
• (c) cooling the reaction mixture;
• (d) neutralizing the reaction mixture;
• (e) slurrying the reaction mixture in aqueous acetone;
• (f) reslurrying the reaction mixture in acetone;
• (g) recovering an alkyl-aryl hydrophobically modified hydroxyethyl cellulose.