Cognis IP Management Gmbh

Basf Se Corporation

Thomas Mausberg

Uwe Held

Ronald Klagge

Thomas Schliwka

Katharina Hömberg

Markus Scherer

Christian Hubert Weidl

Marta Reinoso Garcia

Wolfgang Breuer

Stefan Busch

Shailesh C Shah

Linda Winkelmann

Silke Annika Köhler

Bernd Schneider

Karolina Hofmann

Rolnald Klagge

The present invention relates to the use of reactive monomers as plasticizers in copolymers. The invention further relates to copolymers obtainable by using the reactive monomers. The present invention moreover relates to processes for the lowering of the glass transition temperature of copolymers with use of the reactive monomers.

Reactive monomers as comonomers for the production of polymers

Process for polymerizing at least one monomer under emulsion polymerization conditions, characterized in that the (co)monomers are selected from vinyl aromatic compounds, ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acids with 3 to 10 carbon atoms, C-C-alkyl esters of ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acids with 3 to 10 carbon atoms, 1,3-butadiene, and a-olefins bearing in the range of from 10 to 250 carbon atoms per molecule, in pure form or as mixture with isomers, and using a surfactant mixture comprising (A) an alkoxylation product of at least one alkanol (a), characterized in that alkanol (a) has 6 to 12 carbon atoms per molecule and the average number of alkylene oxide units per molecule in alkoxylation product (A) assumes a value in the range of from 35 to 55, the alkylene oxide units are selected from C-C-alkylene oxide units and alkanol (a) has an average degree of branching of at least 1; and (B) an alkoxylation product of at least one alkanol (b), characterized in that alkanol (b) has 13 to 19 carbon atoms per molecule and the average number of alkylene oxide units per molecule in alkoxylation product (B) assumes a value in the range of from 35 to 55, the alkylene oxide units are selected from C-C-alkylene oxide units, or (C) an alkoxylation product of at least one linear C-C-alkyl alcohol (c), characterized in that the average number of alkylene oxide units per molecule in alkoxylation product (C) assumes a value in the range of from 35 to 55, the alkylene oxide units are selected from C-C-alkylene oxide units.

Process for emulsion polymerization

The invention relates to the use of aqueous solutions of nonionic surfactants as gel phase free emulsion systems for emulsion polymerization. The nonionic surfactants are chosen from the group (a) of the addition products from 1 to 40 mol ethylene and/or propylene oxide per mol of allyl alcohol, and (b) of the addition products from 1 to 40 mol ethylene and/or propylene oxide per mol of allyl alcohol, wherein the OH-group of said addition products is end-capped in the sense that it is substituted by a group OR, wherein R is an alkyl group with 1 to 20 C-atoms, which can be saturated or unsaturated, straight chained or branched.

Use of nonionic surfactants as emulsifiers for emulsion polymerization (III)

The invention relates to a copolymerizable emulsifier comprising (meth)acrylic acid esters, selected from compounds of the general formula (1) and (II), where: A is an acrylic group having 3 to 40 carbon atoms, x and y independently of each other are a hydrogen group or a methyl group, B is hydrogen or a sulfate or phosphate group, and n a number in the range of 0 to 40. The invention further relates to methods of using said copolymerizable emulsifier in the emulsion polymerization of olefinically unsaturated monomers to prepare polymers.

Copolymerizable (meth)acrylic acid esters

Provided are low-viscosity aqueous compositions comprising compounds of Formula (III) and (IV). These compositions are prepared by jointly ethoxylating a mixture of the compounds of the Formula (I) and (II) to give an intermediate which represents a mixture of compounds of Formulas (I*) and (II*). The intermediate is then converted by sulfation or phosphation and subsequent neutralization, into an aqueous composition comprising the compounds of Formula (III) and (IV). The aqueous compositions are notable for having, at 20&#xb0; C., a Brookfield viscosity of 3000 mPas or less (measured at 20&#xb0; C. with spindle 2 and 20 rpm), and are suitable as emulsifiers for emulsion polymerization.

Low-viscosity aqueous compositions

The invention is directed to the use of maleic esters selected from compounds of formulae (I) and (II) as copolymerizable emulsifiers in the emulsion polymerization of olefinically unsaturated monomers, in which A is an alkyl group having 3 to 40 carbon atoms; X and Z independently are hydrogen or methyl; M is hydrogen, an alkali metal, alkaline earth metal, or an ammonium or other amine salt; and n and p independently are numbers in the range from 0 to 40. 

Copolymerizable surfactants (2)

The invention is directed to the use of maleic esters selected from compounds of formulae (I), (II) and (III), as copolymerizable emulsifiers in the emulsion polymerization of olefinically unsaturated monomers, in which A is a C3-C40 alkyl group; X, Y and Z independently are hydrogen or methyl; B and D independently are sulfate, phosphate or hydrogen; n and p independently are numbers in the range from 0 to 40; and m is a number in the range from 2 to 40. 

Copolymerizable surfactants (1)

Surfactant compositions which comprise (i) 10 to 90% by weight of one or more compounds selected from the group (a) to (e), and (ii) 10 to 90% by weight of water, based on the composition, are disclosed, where the compounds (a) to (e) are defined as follows: The surfactant compositions are liquid and pourable at 20&#xb0; C., with a pour point below 0&#xb0; C., and are useful as emulsifiers in emulsion polymerization.

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Haan, Germany

Thomas Mausberg