Fmc Corporation (uk) Limited

Elizabeth A Kerr

Jan Rideout

Phosphonic coletomers of the formula I: ##STR1## wherein X.sub.5 is hydrogen, an alkali metal atom, an alkaline earth metal atom, or an ammonium or amine residue; and A.sub.2 is a copolymer residue comprising two different residues ##STR2## wherein r is an integer ranging from 2 to 100, and wherein, in the first residue, W.sub.3 is --COOH, and in the second residue, W.sub.3 is --CONHC(CH.sub.3).sub.2 CH.sub.2 SO.sub.3 X.sub.5 wherein X.sub.5 is as hereinbefore defined. The cotelomers inhibit scale and corrosion in aqueous systems.

Phosphonic cotelomers and method of use

Phosphonic telomer intermediates for preparing the telomers of U.S. Pat. No. 5,376,731 may be produced by an aqueous process comprising (a) reacting hypophosphorous acid with a carbonyl compound which is preferably an aldehyde, a ketone or an imine, and (b) reacting the product of (a) with an olefinic reactant or reactants in the presence of a suitable initiator especially a free radical initiator. The telomer intermediates are themselves useful as scale inhibitors in aqueous systems.

Telomers

Phosphonic (co) telomers of the type described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,046,707 and 4,681,686 and European Patent Application 360746 may be produced by an aqueous process comprising (a) reacting hypophosphorous acid with a carbonyl compound which is preferably an aldehyde, a ketone or an imine, (b) reacting the product of (a) with an olefin or olefins in the presence of a suitable initiator especially a free radical initiator, and (c) converting the product obtained from (b) to a phosphonic (co) telomer, e.g., by reaction with hypochlorite. The (co) telomer products are useful as scale inhibitors in aqueous systems.

Growing community of inventors

Knutsford, United Kingdom

Elizabeth A Kerr