Akzo Nobel N.v.

Berol Nobel Ab

Kenneth Sundberg

Peter Bostrom

Peter Boström

Ingemar Ingvarsson

Lars Erik Berglund

Karl-Axel Johansson

A water-soluble methyl cellulose ether, having a flocculation point below 100&#xb0; C., is manufactured by reacting methyl chloride and a cellulose activated by mercerizing the cellulose with aqueous alkali in the presence of a C-Calkyl chloride as a reaction medium at a temperature from 65&#xb0; C. to 90&#xb0; C. and at a pressure from 3 to 15 bar. The weight ratio between the cellulose and the C-Calkyl chloride is normally from 1:1 to 1:5. The use of the reaction medium makes it possible to produce at a low pressure methyl cellulose ether at a good rate.

Process for the manufacture of methyl cellulose ether

The present invention relates to a nonionic methyl ethyl hydroxyethyl cellulose ether having a flocculation temperature of 70-95&#xb0; C., a DS-methyl of 0.1-0.8 and a DS-ethyl of 0.1-0.7. The cellulose ether has versatile properties and may be used as a thickening agent or a rheology modifier in an aqueous formulation, such as an aqueous latex-containing paint composition. A process for manufacturing the cellulose ether is also disclosed.

Nonionic cellulose ether and its use

Water soluble nonionic cellulose ethers are provided, containing mixed alkylphenoxyalkyleneoxy-2-hydroxy propylene groups, having hydrophilic units composed of (a) alkyleneoxy groups of two or three carbon atoms, in a number from zero to about six, selected from --CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O--; ##STR1## and --CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O--; and (b) one 2-hydroxy propylene group, together with hydrophobic units which are alkylphenoxy groups of the formula ##STR2## where R and R.sub.4 are hydrocarbon groups having from about four to about thirty carbon atoms, preferably from about nine to about eighteen carbon atoms; n.sub.1 is 0 or 1; connected linearly in a group of the general formula: ##STR3## Also provided is a class of cellulose ethers having similar hydrophilic units and hydrophobic units which are alkyloxyalkyleneoxy groups of the formula

Growing community of inventors

Stenungsund, Sweden

Kenneth Sundberg