Ici Australia Operations Proprietary Limited

Iain B Cook

Bruce Leary

Geoffrey B Anderson

Christopher J Lyons

David S Bignell

A compound of the formula ##STR1## where R, which may be the same or different, is selected from at least one of hydrogen, methyl, ethyl and phenyl, at least one R on each --OCHR--CHR-- unit being hydrogen; where m is an integer selected from 1-100; where n is an integer selected from 8 and 9. The preferred process of preparation is by the reaction of alkylene oxide with linoleyl alcohol in the presence of a catalyst which is a Bronsted base. The compounds are useful as reactive surfactants in aqueous emulsion polymerisation processes.

Polymer dispersions stabilized by fatty alcohol alkoylates

Fatty alcohol alkoxylate

Very small (100 nanometres maximum) non-ionically-stabilised core-sheath addition polymer particles, wherein the core is addition polymer and the sheath polyoxyalkylene chains, at least a portion of which chains are bonded to the core, there being present on each core sufficient chains such that the mass ratio of core to sheath is from 98:2 to 60:40. The particles are prepared by polymerisation in aqueous media initiated at under 40.degree. C. In a preferred embodiment, a seed-feed process is used. The dispersions exhibit excellent rheological characteristics and are useful, for example, as film-formers in coating compositions.

Addition polymer particles

Very small (100 nanometers maximum) non-ionically-stabilized core-sheath addition polymer particles, wherein the core is addition polymer and the sheath polyoxylkylene chains, at least a portion of which chains are bonded to the core, there being present on each core sufficient chains such that the mass ratio of core to sheath is from 98:2 to 60:40. The particles are prepared by polymerization in aqueous media initiated at under 40.degree. C. In a preferred embodiment, a seed-feed process is used. The dispersions exhibit excellent rheological characteristics and are useful, for example, as film-formers in coating compositions.

Growing community of inventors

West Brunswick, Australia

Iain B Cook