Capped 1,2-propylene terephthalate-polyoxyethylene terephthalate polyesters useful as soil release agents

Claim 1

Claim 1 - A capped, substituted-ethylene terephthalate ester compound having oligomeric or polymeric backbone incorporating particular polyoxyalkylated moieties, said compound having the formula wherein the A moieties are selected from moieties; the R 1 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 1- biphenylene, 4,4'-biphenylene, arylene moieties having at least one sulfonated or carboxylated substituent, and combinations of said other arylene moieties; the R 2 moieties are selected from (a) 1,2-propylene, 1,2-butylene, 3-methoxy-1,2-propylene and combinations thereof, and (b) combinations of the foregoing R 2 moieties with from 0 to 20% of other compatible R 2 moieties selected from linear C2-C6 alkylene moieties, 1,2- or 1,4-cycloalkylene moieties, polyoxyalkylated 1,2-hydroxyalkylene moieties, -CH 2 CH 2 OCH 2 CH 2 - moieties and combinations thereof; the R 3 moieties are selected from (a) moieties -(CH 2 CH 2 O) q -CH 2 CH 2 - wherein q is at least 9, and (b) combinations of the foregoing R 3 moieties with from 0 to 50% of other compatible R 3 moieties selected from oxypropylene, oxybutylene, polyoxypropylene, polyoxybutylene, polyoxyalkylated hydroxyalkylene oxide and combinations thereof; each R 4 is C 3 -C 4 alkylene, or the moiety -R 2 -A-R 5 -, wherein R 5 is a C 1 -C 12 alkylene, alkenylene, arylene or alkarylene moiety; the Y substituents of each moiety ⁅(R 4 O) m -(CH(Y)CH 2 O) n ⁆ are H, the ether moiety -CH 2 (OCH 2 CH 2 )- p O-X or a mixture of said ether moiety and H; each X is H, C 1 -C 4 alkyl or wherein R 6 is C 1 -C 4 alkyl; m and n are numbers such that the moiety -(CH(Y)CH 2 O)- comprises at least 50% by weight of the moiety ⁅(R 5 O) m (CH(Y)CH 2 O) n ⁆, provided that when R 4 is the moiety -R 2 -A-R 5 -, m is 1; each n is at least 6; p is 0 or at least 1; the average value of u is from 2 to 50; the average value of v is from 1 to 20; the average value of u + v is from 3 to 70.