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

Claim 1

A capped, substituted-ethylene terephthalate ester compound having oligomeric or polymeric backbone incorporating particular polyoxyethylene moieties, said compound having the formula: X--(OCH.sub.2 CH(Y)).sub.n (OR.sup.4).sub.m ][(A--R.sup.1 --A--R.sup.2).sub.u (A--R.sup.1 --A--R.sup.3).sub.v ] --A--R.sup.1 --A--(R.sup.4 O).sub.m (CH(Y)CH.sub.2 O).sub.n ]X wherein the A moieties are selected from the group consisting of ##STR32## and combinations thereof with either or both of the moieties ##STR33## the R 1 moieties are selected from 1,4-phenylene moieties and combinations thereof with up to 50% of other arylene or alkarylene moieties, alkylene moieties, alkenylene moieties or mixtures thereof; the R 2 moieties are selected from (a) the group consisting of 1,2-propylene, 1,2-butylene, 3-methoxy-1,2-propylene and combinations thereof, and (b) combinations of the foregoing R 2 moieties with up to 20% of other compatible R 2 moieties; the R 3 moieties are selected from moieties (CH 2 CH 2 O) q --CH 2 CH 2 -- wherein q is at least about 9, and from combinations thereof with up to 50% of other compatible R 3 moieties; 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.sub. 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 ##STR34## 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 about 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 about 6; p is 0 or at least 1; the average value of u is from about 2 to about 50; the average value of v is from about 1 to about 20; the average value of u+v is from about 3 to about 70.