Water soluble copolymer method for manufacture therefore and use thereof

Abstract

A water-soluble copolymer useful for scale inhibitor and pigment dispersant, comprising 50 to 99.5 mol % of repeating units represented by the general formula I: ##STR1## wherein, R.sup.1 denotes a hydrogen atom or methyl group and X a hydrogen atom, alkali metal atom, alkaline earth metal atom, ammonium group, or organic amine group and 50 to 0.5 mol % of repeating units represented by the general formula II: ##STR2## wherein, p denotes an integer of the value of 1 to 4, q and r independently denote 0 or an integer of the value of 0 to 100, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 independently denote an alkylene group of 2 to 4 carbon atoms, and Y and Z independently denote a hydroxyl group, an alkoxy group of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, a monovalent phosphoric acid group or an alkali metal salt, alkaline earth metal salt, ammonium salt, or organic amine salt thereof or a mono- or di-ester thereof with an alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, a monovalent sulfonic acid group or an alkali metal salt, alkaline earth metal salt, ammonium salt, or organic amine salt thereof or an ester thereof with an alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms.