A coated absorbant substrate or shaped article, containing a water-soluble and/or volatile active agent

Claim 2

A polymeric system comprising an association product of a polymeric carboxylic acid having free carboxyl groups on at least 10% of the monomer units thereof and an ethoxylated nonionic surfactant having at least 2 ethylene oxide units and a maximum molecular weight of about 4000.

Claim 3

The polymeric system according to claim 1, wherein said acid and said surfactant are present in a weight ratio of from 1:20 to 20:1.

Claim 4

The polymeric system according to claim 1, wherein said acid is selected from the group consisting of homopolymers of unsaturated carboxylic acids; copolymers of acrylic or methacrylic acid with at least one polymerizable vinyl compound; copolymers of acrylic or methacrylic acid with at least one polymerizable vinylidene compound; hydrolyzed interpolymers of alpha, beta-ethylenically unsaturated dicarboxylic acid anhydrides with terminally unsaturated mono-olefins, cyclic terpenes, vinyl compounds, vinylidene compounds, acrylic acid and esters thereof and methacrylic acid and esters thereof; the carbo- xyalkylated derivatives of polyhydroxy polymers; hydrolyzed polymers containing acrylamide or acrylonitrile groups; polycarboxylic acid ethers based on pentanoic acid residues; carboxy polymethylene hydrocolloid; and the partial esters and amides of said acids.

Claim 5

The polymeric system according to claim 3, wherein said acid is selected from the group consisting of polyacrylic acid, polyacrylic acid crosslinked with approximately 1% of polyallyl sucrose, polymethacrylic acid, polymaleic acid, polyitaconic acid, polyhydroxybenzoic acid, polygalacturonic acid, polyglutamic acid, polyglycollic acid, polylactic acid, ethylene/acrylic acid copolymer, ethylene/ methacrylic acid copolymer, methylmethacrylate/methacrylic acid copolymer, methyl acrylate/methyl methacrylate/methacrylic acid terpolymer, ethyl acrylate/t-butyl acrylamid/acrylic acid terpolymer, methyl vinyl ether/maleic acid copolymer, vinyl acetate/crotonic acid copolymer, butadiene/maleic acid copolymer, polymaleic anhydride, acrylonitrile/maleic anhydride copolymer, butadiene/maleic anhydride copolymer, ethylene/maleic anhydride copolymer, 1-hexene/maleic anhydride copolymer, 1-octadecene/maleic anhydride copolymer, methyl vinyl ether/maleic anyhdride copolymer, n-octadecyl vinyl ether/maleic anhydride copolymer, styrene/maleic anhydride copolymer, vinyl acetate/maleic anhydride copolymer, cellulose acetate phthalate, carboxymethyl cellulose, and carboxyl modified polyacrylamide.

Claim 6

The polymeric system according to claim 4, wherein said acid is polyacrylic acid, an ethylene-maleic acid copolymer, styrene-maleic anhydride copolymer, 1-hexene-maleic anhydride copolymer, ethylacrylate/ t-butyl acrylamide/acrylic acid terpolymer, polymethacrylic acid or cellulose acetate phthalate.

Claim 7

The polymeric system according to claim 1, wherein said ethoxylated nonionic surfactant is selected from the group consisting of ethoxylated alkylphenols, ethoxylated mono- and polyhydroxy aliphatic alcohols, ethoxylated fatty amines, ethoxylated fatty acid amides, ethoxylated fatty acid ethanolamides, ethoxylated fatty acids, ethoxylated fatty acid esters, ethoxylated sorbitan fatty acid esters, ethoxylated sorbitol esters, ethoxylated vegetable oils, ethoxylated lanolin derivatives, ethoxilated sugar derivatives, ethoxylated naphthalene derivatives, ethoxylated mercaptans, ethoxylated polypropylene glycols, ethoxylated fatty glycerides, ethoxylated fatty glycol esters and ethoxylated sucroglycerides.

Claim 8

The polymeric system according to claim 6, wherein said ethoxylated nonionic surfactant is selected from the group consisting of octylphenoxy polyethoxy ethanols, nonylphenoxy polyethoxy ethanols, ethoxylated sorbitan monolaurates, ethoxylated sorbitan monopalmitates, ethoxylated sorbitan monostearates, ethoxylated sorbitan monooleates, ethoxylated sorbitan tristearates, ethoxylated sorbitan trioleates, ethoxylated oleyl amides, ethoxylated tallow amides, ethoxylated glycol laurates, ethoxylated glycol stearates, ethoxylated glycol oleates, ethoxylated stearic acid, ethoxylated oleic acid, ethoxlated rosin fatty acids, ethoxylated lauryl ethers, ethoxylated cetyl ethers, ehtoxylated stearyl ethers, ethoxylated oleyl ethers, ethoxylated tridecyl ethers, ethoxylated polydimethylsiloxanes, ethoxylated polypropylene glycols, ethoxylated polyurethanes, and ethoxylated perfluoroalkyl polyurethanes.

Claim 9

The polymeric system according to claim 1, wherein said ethoxylated nonionic surfactant has a hydrophile-lipophile balance value of from about 2 to 40.

Claim 10

A polymeric association product of a polymeric carboxylic acid having free carboxyl groups on at least 10% of the monomer units thereof and an ethoxylated nonionic surfactant having at least 2 ethylene oxide units and a maximum molecular weight of about 4000.

Claim 11

A polymeric association product of a polymeric carboxylic acid having free carboxyl groups on at least 10% of the monomer units thereof and an ethoxylated nonionic surfactant having at least 2 ethylene oxide units and a maximum molecular weight of about 4000.

Claim 12

A process for the preparation of a polymeric system according to claim 1, which comprises mixing (1) a dispersion (solution) of a polymeric carboxylic acid with a minimum of 10% of the monomer units comprising carboxylic groups with (2) a nonionic surfactant (solution of a nonionic surfactant) with a minimum of 2 ethylene oxide units at a temperature range of from 10 to 130°C, the component weight ratio being 1:20 to 20:1, and evaporating off the solvent by air drying under reduced pressure.

Claim 13

An absorbent substrate, coated on one or both surfaces thereof with the polymeric system according to claim 1.

Claim 14

A coated absorbent substrate according to claim 11, which is impregnated with a volatile active agent and said polymeric system is coated on both surfaces thereof, said volatile active agent being released at a controlled and uniform rate.

Claim 15

The absorbent coated substrate according to claim 11, which is impregnated with a volatile active agent, said polymeric system is coated on one surface thereof and a barrier backing impermeable to said volatile active agent is affixed to the uncoated surface of said substrate, said volatile active agent being release at a controlled and uniform rate.

Claim 16

A laminate structure comprising two substrates according to claim 11, each coated on one surface thereof and impregnated with a volatile active agent, said laminate being formed by placing the uncoated surface of each substrate in face-to-face contact and adhering same, said volatile active agent being released at a controlled and uniform rate.

Claim 17

A shaped article prepared from the polymeric system according to claim 1.

Claim 18

A shaped article according to claim 15)which also contains a volatile active agent therein, said volatile active agent being released at a controlled and uniform rate.

Claim 19

The substrates according to claims 11 or 12, wherein said polymeric system contains a volatile active agent therein, said volatile active agent being released at a controlled and uniform rate.

Claim 20

A solid, water-soluble active agent coated with the polymeric system according to claim 1, said water-soluble active agent being released at a controlled and uniform rate.

Claim 21

The shaped article according to-claim 15, which also contains a water-soluble active agent therein, said water-soluble active agent being released at a controlled and uniform rate.

Claim 22

A sealed pouch prepared from the substrate according to claim 11, containing volatile active agents or water-soluble active agents encompassed therein, said active agents being released at a controlled and uniform rate.

Claim 23

The pouch of claim 19, wherein said active agents are present on an absorbent substrate.

Claim 24

Seed coated with the polymeric system according to claim 1.

Claim 25

An adhesive composition comprising the polymeric system according to claim 1:

Claim 26

The adhesive according to claim 23, which is activated by p res- sure, moisture or thermal conditions.