The Dow Chemical Company

James W Sanner

Peter W Owen

David L Stavenger

Patricia L Slaber

Water can be removed from an aqueous clay slurry using techniques such as filtration wherein the slurry is contacted with an anionic polymer having a molecular weight in the range from about 3,000 to about 1,000,000. The water is removed from the slurry at a rapid rate in order to provide a clay cake.

Dewatering aid for clay

Thickened or gelled industrial formulations comprise, for example, an aqueous acid or base formulation thickened with a small amount of a water-soluble polymer comprising acrylamide, an ionic monomer and, optionally, a crosslinking monomer. The thickened formulations can be used as industrial or household cleaners, etc., and exhibit good viscosity stability and retention capability over time.

Thickening agents for industrial formulations

Water miscible monomers such as acrylamide are polymerized in an aqueous phase in the presence of an initiator containing a borohydride such as sodium borohydride and an easily reduced metal ion such as cupric ion.

Aqueous phase polymerization of water miscible monomers

Residual amounts of water and color-causing impurities can be removed from a 2-oxazoline compound by introducing from 0.01 to 25 weight percent of a dialkyl hydrogen phosphite or a halosilane compound to the 2-oxazoline and then distilling the oxazoline. For example, 0.5 weight percent of bis(2-ethylhexyl)hydrogen phosphite was introduced into 100 grams of 2-ethyl-2-oxazoline containing 1000 parts per million (ppm) of water and the mixture was then distilled to yield 2-ethyl-2-oxazoline containing less than 10 ppm of water.

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Midland, MI, United States of America

James W Sanner