Phosphonic acid cross-linked hydrophilic copolymers

Claim 2

In a crosslinked copolymer of olefinically unsaturated monomers crosslinked with a plurality of crosslinking members, the improvement comprises said crosslinking members being bridge members of the formula ##STR29## wherein R 1 and R 2 independently of one another are hydrogen or alkyl with 1 to 4 carbon atoms and m is a number from 0 to 6.

Claim 3

The crosslinked copolymer according to claim 1 wherein R 1 and R 2 independently of one another are hydrogen, methyl or ethyl.

Claim 4

The crosslinked copolymer according to claim 1 wherein m has values from 0 to 6 in random distribution.

Claim 5

The crosslinked copolymer according to claim 1 wherein the copolymer contains 0.01 to 30% by weight of said crosslinking bridge members.

Claim 6

The crosslinked copolymer according to claim 1 wherein the polymeric units being crosslinked comprise chain units containing moieties of the formulae: ##STR30## wherein R 3 is hydrogen or methyl, a and b are each 0 or 1 and the sum a+b is 0 or 1 and X is the carboxamide group --CONH 2 ; ##STR31## wherein R 4 and R 5 independently of one another are hydrogen, methyl or ethyl or together are trimethylene or pentamethylene; carboxyl or a salt thereof; alkoxycarbonyl with 1 to 6 carbon atoms; hydroxyalkoxycarbonyl with 1 to 3 carbon atoms; N-methylolcarboxamide of the formula HOCH.sub.2 NH--CO-- wherein the methylol moiety is unetherified or etherified with alkanol having 1 to 4 carbon atoms; alkanoylamino with 1 to 4 carbon atoms, unsubstituted or N-substituted by methylol or alkyl with 1 to 4 carbon atoms; cyano; phenyl or benzyl; imidazol-1-yl; the sulphonic acid moiety or a salt thereof; sulphoalkylamidocarbonyl with 1 to 4 carbon atoms in the alkyl moiety or a salt thereof; the phosphonic acid moiety or a salt thereof; the phosphonic acid ester of the formula ##STR32## wherein M⊕ is a cation and R 6 is alkyl with 1 to 4 carbon atoms a moiety of the formula ##STR33## wherein R 7 and R 8 are identical or different and each is alkyl with 1 to 7 carbon atoms; an amino moiety of the formula ##STR34## or its quaternary salt wherein p is a number from 1 to 4; or an amino moiety of the formula ##STR35## or its quaternary salt wherein R 9 and R 10 are identical or different and each is alkyl with 1 to 4 carbon atoms and p is a number from 1 to 4.

Claim 7

The crosslinked copolymer according to claim 1 wherein the polymeric units being crosslinked comprise chain units of the formula ##STR36## wherein R 3 is hydrogen or methyl and X is --CONH 2 ; a moiety of the formula ##STR37## wherein R 4 and R 5 independently of one another are each hydrogen, methyl or ethyl or together are trimethylene or pentamethylene; carboxyl or the alkali metal or ammonium salts thereof; hydroxyalkoxycarbonyl with 2 or 3 carbon atoms; sulphonic acid moiety or a salt thereof; sulphoalkylamidocarbonyl with 1 to 4 carbon atoms in the alkyl; the phosphonic acid moiety or a salt thereof; or the phosphonic acid ester of the formula ##STR38## wherein R 6 is alkyl with 1 to 4 carbon atoms.

Claim 8

The crosslinked copolymer according to claim 6 wherein X is a sulpho or sulphoalkylamidocarbonyl moiety with 1 to 4 alkyl carbon atoms in an amount of 5 to 70% by weight of the polymeric units being crosslinked or X is a moiety of the formula ##STR39## in an amount of up to 40% by weight of the polymeric units being crosslinked.