Abstract: This invention relates to an aqueous gel comprising a specified capped polyether polymer and a surfactant. Preferred capped polyether polymers can be obtained by modifying a conventional polyether polyol with an alpha-olefin epoxide having an average of about 20 to 45 carbon atoms or mixtures thereof.

Abstract: This invention relates to an aqueous gel comprising a specified capped polyether polymer and a surfactant. Preferred capped polyether polymers can be obtained by modifying a conventional polyether polyol with an alpha-olefin epoxide having an average of about 20 to 45 carbon atoms or mixtures thereof.

Abstract: This invention relates to synthetic polyether thickeners and thickened aqueous systems containing them. The thickeners are unique because they can be used in aqueous systems at less than ten percent weight concentration which will flow in a Vickers 104(C) Vane pump at use temperatures. These properties make them particularly useful for thickening hydraulic fluids used in high pressure vane and gear pumps. The thickeners are prepared by reacting conventional polyether polyols with alpha-olefin epoxides having an average of 6 to 12 total carbon atoms to obtain products with specific epoxide-to-hydroxyl ratios.