Wet-strength resins and processes for making and using same

Claim 2

A PROCESS FOR PREPARING A WATER-SOLUBLE, CATIONIC, THERMOSETTING RESIN WHICH COMPRISES: A. REACTING A POLYALKYLENE POLYAMINE, HAVING THE GENERAL FORMULA NH2(RNH)NH WHEREIN R IS AN ALKYLENE GROUP CONTAINING FROM TWO TO ABOUT EIGHT CARBON ATOMS AND N IS AN INTEGER OF FROM 2 TO ABOUT 5, WITH A UREA TO FORM A POLYUREIDE INTERMEDIATE; B. QUENCHING THE POLYUREIDE-FORMING REACTION C. REACTING THE QUENCHED POLYUREIDE INTERMEIDATE WITH EPIHALOHYDRIN TO FORM A POLYUREIDE-EPHIHALOHYDRIN INTERMEDIATE; AND D. REACTING THE POLYUREIDE-EPIHALOHYDRIN INTERMEDIATE WITH FORMALDEHYDE TO FORM A WATER-SOLUTION, CATIONIC, THERMOSETTING POLYUREIDE-EPIHALOHYDRIN-FORMALDEHYDE RESIN CONDENSATE.

Claim 3

A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the polyalkylene polyamine is at least one member of the group consisting of polyethylene polyamines, polypropylene polyamines and polybutylene polyamines.

Claim 4

A process as claimed in claim 2 wherein: a reaction mixture containing from about 0.1 mole to about 1.0 mole of polyalkylene polyamine per mole of urea is heated up to a reaction temperature of from about 110*C to about 180*C over a period of from one to about four hours and then held at the reaction temperature for a period of from about 15 minutes to about one hour to form the polyureide intermediate; the polyureide-forming reaction is quenched with an organic, hydroxyl-containing compound; the quenched polyureid intermediate is reacted with from 0.05 to 0.30 moles of epihalohydrin per mole of said urea used to form the polyureide intermediate to form a polyureide-epihalohydrin intermediate; and reacting the polyureide-epihalohydrin intermediate with from about 1.0 to about 3.0 moles of formaldehyde per mole of the urea used to form the polyureide intermediate to form the polyureide-epihalohydrin-formaldehyde resin condensate.

Claim 5

A process as claimed in claim 3 wherein the reaction of the formaldehyde with the polyureide-epihalohydrin intermediate is a two stage reaction comprising: A. the methylolation of the polyureide-epihalohydrin intermediate at a temperature of from about 65*C to about 85*C and at a pH of from about 8.0 to about 9.5 for a period of from abut 10 minutes to about 30 minutes; and B. the condensation of the methylolated polyureide intermediate at a temperature of from about 65*C to about 80*C and at a pH of from 4.5 to about 5.5 for a period of from about 30 minutes to about 120 minutes.

Claim 6

A process as claimed in claim 4 wherein the pH is lowered for the condensation stage by the addition of a mineral acid to the reaction mixture, and wherein the condensation stage of the reaction is terminated by diluting the reaction mixture with water, aqueous formaldehyde, or alcohol and adjusting the pH of the diluted reaction mixture to a pH of from about 6.0 to about 7.0 by the addition of alkali to the diluted reaction mixture.

Claim 7

A process as claimed in claim 5 wherein a mixture of triethylene tetramine and diethylene triamine are reacted with urea to form the polyureide intermediate and the polyureide-forming reaction is quenched with an aqueous formaldehyde solution.

Claim 8

A process as claimed in claim 5 wherein a mixture of triethylene tetramine and diethylene triamine are reacted with urea to form the polyureide intermediate and the polyureide-forming reaction is quenched with ethylene glycol.

Claim 9

The product of the process claimed in claim 1.