Branched polyoxyalkylene copolyesters, a process for their preparation, and their use

Claim 1

A branched polyoxyalkylene copolyester, said copolyester having been prepared by esterifying an OH-containing component and a dicarboxylic component in the presence of a mineral acid or carboxylic acid esterification catalyst while removing the water of reaction, the esterification reaction being carried out in the melt at a temperature of 160° to 180° C., said OH-containing component consisting essentially of: an oxyalkylated primary fatty amine of formula ##STR2## in which R 1 is an alkyl radical or alkylene radical having 8 to 23 carbon atoms; R 2 is H, in which case the polyoxyalkylene radicals of Formula I are polyoxyethylene, or R 2 is CH 3 , in which case the polyoxyalkylene radicals of formula I are polyoxypropylene, or R 2 is both H and CH 3 , in which case the polyoxyalkylene radicals of Formula I are the same or different and can carry blockwise-arranged units of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide; and a and b are identical or different and are integers or fractions with a total of 2 to 30, with the proviso that neither a nor b is zero; and an alkoxylated polyhydric alkanol having 3 to 6 OH groups or an alkoxylated, at least trifunctional polyamine, which in each case contains 5 to 30 ethylene oxide units, 5 to 30 propylene oxide units, or 3 to 20 ethylene oxide units and 5 to 30 propylene oxide units per acid H atom, said dicarboxylic component consisting essentially of a dicarboxylic acid or a dianhydride thereof, said dicarboxylic acid being malonic, succinic, glutaric, adipic, pimelic, suberic, azelaic, sebacic, fumaric, maleic, or phthalic acid; the oxyalkylated primary fatty amine, the alkoxylated polyhydric-alkanol or polyamine reactant, and the dicarboxylic component being employed in the molar ratio 1:0.01:0.5 to 1:1:3.