Micellar solutions of thin film spreading agents comprising resinous polyalkylene oxide adducts

Claim 1

A homogeneous micellar thin film spreading agent solution comprising: (1) from between about 5% and about 75% by weight of a resinous polyalkylene oxide adduct of a fusible, water-insoluble organic aromatic hydrocarbon solvent-soluble synthetic resin, wherein said resin has from between about 4 to about 15 phenolic groups and is an alkyl or cycloaliphatic substituted phenol-aldehyde condensate of an ortho- or para-substituted phenol and an aldehyde, said condensate resin being thereafter further condensed with an alkylene oxide containing less than about five carbon atoms in an amount equal to at least one mole of alkylene oxide per phenolic moiety of said resin, said adduct at about 25° C.: (A) having a solubility in water and isooctane of less than about 1%, by volume; (B) having a solubility parameter from between about 6.8 and about 8.5; and (C) spreading at the interface between white, refined mineral oil and distilled water to form a film having a calculated thickness no greater than about 20 Angstroms, at a spreading pressure of about 16 dynes per cm; (2) from between about 2% and about 30% by weight of a hydrotropic agent having one of the formulas: X--Z (A) wherein X is an alkyl, alicyclic, aromatic, alkylalicyclic, alkylaryl, arylalkyl, alicyclicalkyl, heterocyclic or substituted heterocyclic radical having 2 to 13 carbon atoms; and wherein Z is one of: ##STR5## wherein U and V are hydrogen or hydrocarbon substituents, X-Y-R-(Z).sub.n, (B) wherein: Z is one of ##STR6## X is an alkyl, alicyclic, aromatic, alkylalicyclic, alkylaryl, arylalkyl, alicyclicalkyl, heterocyclic or substituted heterocyclic radical having 2 to 12 carbon atoms; U and V are hydrogen or hydrocarbon substituents; R is a member selected from the class consisting of, --CH 2 --, --C 2 H 4 --, C 3 H 5 ═, --C 3 H 6 , and --C 2 H 4 --O--C 2 H 4 --; n is either a one or two integer, the integer dependent upon the selection of R; and Y is a member selected from the class consisting of: ##STR7## (3) from between about 2% and about 30% by weight of an amphipathic agent having at least one radical having from between about 10 and about 64 carbon atoms per molecule; and (4) from between about 15% and about 90% by weight, water.