US4138381A — Polymeric thickeners, processes for their prepara…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 264 words

A liquid composition useful as a thickening agent in polymeric latices, the composition comprising (A) up to 50%, by weight of the composition, of a polymer of polymerized units of (1) about 10-98%, by weight of the polymers, at least one unsaturated carboxylic acid of 3-6 carbon atoms; (2) about 1-50%, by weight of the polymer, at least one alkyl acrylate or alkyl methacrylate whose alkyl group contains 1-30 carbon atoms; and (3) about 1-85%, by weight of the polymer, at least one ester of the formula ##STR12## where R and R 2 are hydrogen or methyl; R 1 is an alkyl radical or an alkyl phenyl radical of 1-20 carbon atoms; x is 5-80; and y is 0-20; the total of 1, 2 and 3 being 100%; and (B) as a solvent for (A), (4) a glycol, or (5) a glycol containing up to 50% of its weight of water; the composition being made by (a) adding 10-50%, by weight of the total weight of monomers to be used, to a reaction vessel containing enough glycol, or glycol containing up to 50% of its weight of water, to give a final polymer concentration of less than 50% by weight; (b) heating the contents of the vessel to at least 50° C.; (c) adding a portion of the free-radical catalyst to be used to the vessel; and then (d) continuously adding the remainder of the monomers and catalyst to the vessel, and (e) adding ammonia or a water-soluble organic amine after the polymerization is complete to adjust the pH to about 7 to 10.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 264 words

A liquid composition useful as a thickening agent in polymeric latices, the composition comprising (A) up to 50%, by weight of the composition, of a polymer of polymerized units of (1) about 10-98%, by weight of the polymers, at least one unsaturated carboxylic acid of 3-6 carbon atoms; (2) about 1-50%, by weight of the polymer, at least one alkyl acrylate or alkyl methacrylate whose alkyl group contains 1-30 carbon atoms; and (3) about 1-85%, by weight of the polymer, at least one ester of the formula ##STR12## where R and R 2 are hydrogen or methyl; R 1 is an alkyl radical or an alkyl phenyl radical of 1-20 carbon atoms; x is 5-80; and y is 0-20; the total of 1, 2 and 3 being 100%; and (B) as a solvent for (A), (4) a glycol, or (5) a glycol containing up to 50% of its weight of water; the composition being made by (a) adding 10-50%, by weight of the total weight of monomers to be used, to a reaction vessel containing enough glycol, or glycol containing up to 50% of its weight of water, to give a final polymer concentration of less than 50% by weight; (b) heating the contents of the vessel to at least 50° C.; (c) adding a portion of the free-radical catalyst to be used to the vessel; and then (d) continuously adding the remainder of the monomers and catalyst to the vessel, and (e) adding ammonia or a water-soluble organic amine after the polymerization is complete to adjust the pH to about 7 to 10.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 31 words

The composition of claim 1 wherein (a) is about 20 to 93% by weight, (b) is about 2 to 30% by weight and (c) is about 5 to 50% by weight.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 16 words

The composition of claim 1 wherein the unsaturated carboxylic acid is acrylic acid or methacrylic acid.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 22 words

The composition of claim 1 wherein the alkyl acrylate or alkyl methacrylate contains 10 to 30 carbon atoms in the alkyl group.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 54 words

The composition of claim 1 wherein the ester of (c) has the formula ##STR13## wherein R is hydrogen or methyl, x is a positive interger of 5 to 80, and R 1 is alkyl of 1 to 15 carbon atoms or alkyl phenyl where the alkyl group is from 8 to 20 carbon atoms.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 72 words

The composition of claim 5 wherein the polymer is at a concentration of 5-35% by weight of the composition, (a) is about 20 to 30% by weight and (c) is about 5 to 50% by weight, the glycol is selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol and propylene glycol, and the water is present during manufacture at a concentration up to 30% by weight, based on the weight of the glycol.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 33 words

The composition of claim 6 wherein the unsaturated carboxylic acid is acrylic acid or methacrylic acid and the alkyl acrylate or alkyl methacrylate contains 10 to 30 carbon atoms in the alkyl group.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 31 words

The composition of claim 7 wherein (a) is about 30 to 88% by weight, (b) is about 2 to 30% by weight and (c) is about 10 to 40% by weight.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 250 words

A process for preparing a polymer useful as a thickening agent in aqueous polymeric latices comprising: (a) adding to a reaction zone a portion of the monomers and sufficient ethylene glycol or propylene glycol, with 0 to about 50% by weight of water based on the weight of glycol, to give a final product having a solids content less than about 50% by weight, said monomers consisting essentially of (i) about 10 to 98% by weight of at least one unsaturated carboxylic acid of 3 to 6 carbon atoms, (ii) about 1 to 50% by weight of at least one alkyl acrylate or alkyl methacrylate wherein the alkyl group is from 1 to 30 carbon atoms, and (iii) about 1 to 85% by weight of at least one ester of the formula ##STR14## wherein R and R 2 are each hydrogen or methyl, x is a positive integer of 5 to 80, y is an integer of 0 to 20, and R 1 is alkyl of 1 to 20 carbon atoms or alkyl phenyl where the alkyl group is from 1 to 20 carbon atoms; (b) heating the mixture of (a) to a temperature of at least about 50° C.; (c) adding to the reaction zone a portion of a free-radical polymerization catalyst; and (d) feeding to the reaction zone the remainder of the monomers and catalyst; and (e) adding ammonia or a water-soluble organic amine after the polymerization is complete to adjust the pH to about 7 to 10.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 250 words

A process for preparing a polymer useful as a thickening agent in aqueous polymeric latices comprising: (a) adding to a reaction zone a portion of the monomers and sufficient ethylene glycol or propylene glycol, with 0 to about 50% by weight of water based on the weight of glycol, to give a final product having a solids content less than about 50% by weight, said monomers consisting essentially of (i) about 10 to 98% by weight of at least one unsaturated carboxylic acid of 3 to 6 carbon atoms, (ii) about 1 to 50% by weight of at least one alkyl acrylate or alkyl methacrylate wherein the alkyl group is from 1 to 30 carbon atoms, and (iii) about 1 to 85% by weight of at least one ester of the formula ##STR14## wherein R and R 2 are each hydrogen or methyl, x is a positive integer of 5 to 80, y is an integer of 0 to 20, and R 1 is alkyl of 1 to 20 carbon atoms or alkyl phenyl where the alkyl group is from 1 to 20 carbon atoms; (b) heating the mixture of (a) to a temperature of at least about 50° C.; (c) adding to the reaction zone a portion of a free-radical polymerization catalyst; and (d) feeding to the reaction zone the remainder of the monomers and catalyst; and (e) adding ammonia or a water-soluble organic amine after the polymerization is complete to adjust the pH to about 7 to 10.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 28 words

The process of claim 9 wherein the temperature in step (b) is in the range of 50° C. to the boiling point of the glycol or glycol-water azeotrope.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 14 words

The process of claim 10 wherein the temperature is about 70 to 110° C.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 24 words

The process of claim 10 wherein the portion of monomers initially added to the reaction zone is about 10 to 50% of the total.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 36 words

The process of claim 12 wherein the monomers consist essentially of about 20 to 93% by weight of (i), about 2 to 30% by weight of (ii) and about 5 to 50% by weight of (iii).

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 244 words

A process for preparing a polymer useful as a thickening agent in aqueous polymeric latices comprising: (a) adding to a reaction zone about 10 to 50% by weight of the total of the monomers and sufficient ethylene glycol or propylene glycol, with 0 to about 30% by weight of water based on the weight of glycol, to give a final product having a solids content less than about 35% by weight, said monomers consisting essentially of (i) about 20 to 93% by weight of acrylic acid or methacrylic acid, (ii) about 2 to 30% by weight of an alkyl acrylate or alkyl methacrylate where the alkyl group is from 10 to 30 carbon atoms and (iii) about 5 to 50% by weight of an ester of the formula ##STR15## wherein R is hydrogen or methyl, x is a positive integer of 5 to 80, and R 1 is alkyl of 1 to 15 carbon atoms or alkyl phenyl where the alkyl group is from 8 to 20 carbon atoms; (b) heating the mixture of (a) to a temperature in the range of about 70 to 110° C.; (c) adding to the reaction zone about 2 to 50% by weight of the total of a free-radical polymerization catalyst; (d) continuously feeding to the reaction zone the remainder of the monomers and catalyst; and (e) adding ammonia or a water-soluble organic amine after the polymerization is complete to adjust the pH to about 7 to 10.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 244 words

A process for preparing a polymer useful as a thickening agent in aqueous polymeric latices comprising: (a) adding to a reaction zone about 10 to 50% by weight of the total of the monomers and sufficient ethylene glycol or propylene glycol, with 0 to about 30% by weight of water based on the weight of glycol, to give a final product having a solids content less than about 35% by weight, said monomers consisting essentially of (i) about 20 to 93% by weight of acrylic acid or methacrylic acid, (ii) about 2 to 30% by weight of an alkyl acrylate or alkyl methacrylate where the alkyl group is from 10 to 30 carbon atoms and (iii) about 5 to 50% by weight of an ester of the formula ##STR15## wherein R is hydrogen or methyl, x is a positive integer of 5 to 80, and R 1 is alkyl of 1 to 15 carbon atoms or alkyl phenyl where the alkyl group is from 8 to 20 carbon atoms; (b) heating the mixture of (a) to a temperature in the range of about 70 to 110° C.; (c) adding to the reaction zone about 2 to 50% by weight of the total of a free-radical polymerization catalyst; (d) continuously feeding to the reaction zone the remainder of the monomers and catalyst; and (e) adding ammonia or a water-soluble organic amine after the polymerization is complete to adjust the pH to about 7 to 10.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 40 words

The process of claim 14 wherein the ester has the formula ##STR16## wherein R is hydrogen or methyl, x is a positive integer of 10 to 50, and R 3 is an alkyl group of 8 to 20 carbon atoms.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 171 words

A process for preparing a polymer useful as a thickening agent in aqueous polymeric latices comprising: polymerizing monomers consisting essentially of (i) about 10 to 98% by weight of at least one unsaturated carboxylic acid of 3 to 6 carbon atoms, (ii) about 1 to 50% by weight of at least one alkyl acrylate or alkyl methacrylate wherein the alkyl group is from 1 to 30 carbon atoms, and (iii) about 1 to 85% by weight of at least one ester of the formula ##STR17## wherein R and R 2 are each hydrogen or methyl, x is a positive integer of 5 to 80, y is an integer of 0 to 20, and R 1 is alkyl of 1 to 20 carbon atoms or alkyl phenyl where the alkyl group is from 1 to 20 carbon atoms with a free-radical catalyst in sufficient glycol, with 0 to 50% by weight of water based on the weight of glycol, to give a final polymer solids concentration less than about 50% by weight.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 171 words

A process for preparing a polymer useful as a thickening agent in aqueous polymeric latices comprising: polymerizing monomers consisting essentially of (i) about 10 to 98% by weight of at least one unsaturated carboxylic acid of 3 to 6 carbon atoms, (ii) about 1 to 50% by weight of at least one alkyl acrylate or alkyl methacrylate wherein the alkyl group is from 1 to 30 carbon atoms, and (iii) about 1 to 85% by weight of at least one ester of the formula ##STR17## wherein R and R 2 are each hydrogen or methyl, x is a positive integer of 5 to 80, y is an integer of 0 to 20, and R 1 is alkyl of 1 to 20 carbon atoms or alkyl phenyl where the alkyl group is from 1 to 20 carbon atoms with a free-radical catalyst in sufficient glycol, with 0 to 50% by weight of water based on the weight of glycol, to give a final polymer solids concentration less than about 50% by weight.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1982-02-05	1982-08-07	1983-02-06	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1986-02-05	1986-08-07	1987-02-06	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1990-02-05	1990-08-07	1991-02-06	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Polymeric thickeners, processes for their preparation and uses thereof

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