Block polyesters having branched hydrophilic capping groups useful as soil release agents in detergent compositions

Claim 1

Claim 1 -An ester compound having branched hydrophilic capping groups and oligomer or polymer backbone, said compound being characterized in that it has the formula: X (OCH 2 CH(Y)) n (OR 5 ) m A-R 1 -A-R 2 ) u (A-R 3 -A-R 2 ) v -] -A-R 4 -A⁅(R 5 O) m (CH(Y)CH 2 O) n ⁆-X wherein the A moieties are selected from -O c -or - O-moieties; the R' moieties are selected from 1,4-phenylene moieties and combinations thereof with from 0 to 50% of other arylene moieties selected from 1,3-phenylene, 1,2-phenylene, 1,8-napthylene, 1,4-napthylene, 2,2'-biphenylene, 4,4'-biphenylene or mixtures thereof: the R 2 moieties are ethylene, or substituted ethylene moieties having C 1 -C 4 alkyl or alkoxy substituents: the R 3 moieties are substituted C 2 -C 18 hydrocarbylene moieties having at least one -SO 3 M, -COOM, -O-[(R 5 O) m (CH(Y)CH 2 O) n ⁆-X or -A (R 2 -A-R 4 -A)⁆w (R 5 O)m(CH(Y)CH 2 O) n X substituent or at least one moiety -A (R 2 -A-R 4 -A) R 2 -A-crosslinked to another R 3 moiety; the R 4 moieties are R' or R 3 moieties, or a mixture thereof; each R 5 is C 3 -C 4 alkylene, or the moiety -R 2 -A-R 6- , wherein R 6 is a C 1 -C 12 alkylene, alkenylene, arylene or alkarylene moiety; each M is H or a water-soluble cation; the Y substituents of each moiety -[(R 5 O) m (CH(Y)CH 2 O) n ]-are the ether moiety -CH 2 (OCH 2 CH 2 ) p O-X or mixture of said ether moiety and H; each X is H, C 1 -C 4 alky or wherein R 7 is C 1 -C 4 alkyl; m and n are numbers such that the moiety -(CH(Y)CH 2 0)-comprises at least 50% by weight of the moiety (R 5 O) m (CH(Y)CH 2 O) n , provided that when R 5 is the moiety -R 2 -A-R 6 -, m is 1; each n is at least 6; p is 0 or at least 1; u and v are numbers such that the sum of u + v is from 3 to 25 when w is 0; w is 0 or at least 1; and when w is at least 1, u, v and w are numbers such that the sum of u + v + w is from 3 to 25.