Abstract: Primary polymer particles having a size at least 90% below 10 .mu.m and which contain water soluble and water insoluble polymer are made by reverse phase polymerisation of a water soluble ethylenically unsaturated monomer or monomer blend with cross linking agent, and the emulsion is then spray dried to form spray dried granules which disintegrate upon addition to water, thereby forming an aqueous composition of the insoluble particles having activity similar to the starting emulsion. This aqueous composition of insoluble particles is particularly useful for flocculation, for instance flocculation of sewage sludge followed by centrifugation or belt pressing, or for viscosification.

Abstract: A new process for producing allyl ethers, usually C.sub.8-30 alkyl (CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O).sub.5-100 allyl ether, by forming a solution of an alcohol, usually a surfactant alcohol, in a solvent capable of forming an azeotrope with water, azeotroping the mixture to remove substantially all the water, adding an alkalimetal alkoxide, usually sodium methoxide, removing the alkanol formed, usually by azeotroping with the solvent, adding a halide, usually allyl chloride, and recovering the allyl ether. The ethers are useful as monomers, for example to produce polymers by copolymerising with copolymerisable ethylenically unsaturated comonomers for a wide range of applications.

Abstract: This invention relates to fabric conditioning formulations containing as thickeners a cross-linked cationic polymer of an ethylenically unsaturated monomer or blend of monomers, wherein the cross-linking agent is 5-45 ppm of a cross-linking agent comprising polyethylenic functions. An example of such a cross-linking agent is methylene bisacrylamide. Such thickeners do not contribute to the opacity of the formulations and have a relatively good viscosity stability.

Abstract: This invention relates to aqueous acidic solutions which are thickened by cationic polymer, the polymer being added to the solution in the form of particles below 10 .mu.m in size. The useful cationic polymers are formed from a water soluble cationic ethylenically unsaturated monomer or blend of monomers comprising dialkylaminoalkylacrylics that includes a polyethylenically unsaturated cross-linking agent. A peak viscosity is achieved in the aqueous acidic solution at a particular cross-linker concentration.The concentration of cross-linking agent chosen is carefully controlled so that the viscosifying effect can be optimised whilst minimising the amount of polymer that has to be added. The amount of polymer in the aqueous acidic solution is typically in the range of from, 0.01% to 5% dry weight polymer.

Abstract: The properties of absorptive synthetic polymer particles formed by polymerisation of water soluble monomers such as sodium acrylate or acrylamide with a cross linking agent are improved, especially as regards absorptive capacity for aqueous electrolytes, by copolymerising the monomers with an ethylenically unsaturated monomer that includes a pendant group --A.sub.m B.sub.n A.sub.p R where B is ethyleneoxy, n is at least 2, A is propyleneoxy or butyleneoxy, m and p are each less than n and are preferably zero, and R is a hydrophobic group.

Abstract: Water soluble, substantially linear, polymers having single point intrinsic viscosity above about 3 are formed from an ethylenically unsaturated monomer that includes a group --B.sub.n A.sub.m R where A is propoxy or butoxy, B is ethoxy, n is zero or an integer of 2 to 100 and m is zero or an integer less than n, and R is a hydrophobic group of at least 8 carbon atoms and comonomer selected from non-ionic monomers and dialkylamino alkyl (meth) -acrylates or -acrylamides wherein at least one of the monomers is tertiary amine acid addition or quaternary ammonium salt. The resultant water soluble, high molecular weight, cationic polymers are useful as flocculants and as viscosifiers of aqueous acid solutions such as downhole acid stimulation fluids.

Abstract: Polymers are made by polymerization of an ionic monomer such as methacrylic acid or dialkylaminoalkyl (meth)-acrylate or -acrylamide and/or a substantially non-ionic monomer, optionally a cross linking agent, and an allyl ether of the formula CH.sub.2 .dbd.CR'CH.sub.2 OA.sub.m B.sub.n A.sub.p R where R' is hydrogen or methyl, A is propyleneoxy or butyleneoxy, B is ethyleneoxy, n is zero or an integer, m and p are zero or an integer less than n, and R is a hydrophobic group of at least 8 carbon atoms. The polymers are preferably made by oil in water emulsion polymerization. They can be used as thickeners particularly in environments containing surfactant and/or electrolyte, including especially emulsion paints, print pastes, alkaline liquors and acidic liquors.

Abstract: A wet filter cake of coal fines or other inorganic particulate material is converted to a crumbly mass by blending with water absorbent polymer particles.

Abstract: A dispersing agent for particles in aqueous media comprises a copolymer formed from ethyleneically unsaturated monomers including a water-soluble monomer and a monomer carying a pendant group A.sub.m B.sub.n A.sub.p R in which B is ethyleneoxy and n is at least 2, m and p are each generally 0 and R is a hydrophobic group, generally a C.sub.12-18 alkyl group or alkaryl group. The polymers generally have molecular weights in the range 500-100,000. The dispersants are particularly useful for suspending hydrophobic particles in aqueous media, for example to produce coal slurries, or to suspend hydrophilic particles in aqueous media having high electrolyte concentrations, for example for producing paints and, particularly, drilling muds formed in sea water.

Abstract: Dispersions in water-immiscible liquid of water-soluble or water-swellable polymer particles are stabilized by use of an aqueous emulsion of water insoluble viscosifying polymer particles that are swellable or soluble in the water-immiscible liquid. After adding the emulsion to the water-immiscible liquid, water is removed from around the particles of the viscosifying polymer, preferably by absorption into the water swellable or soluble polymer particles. Water-immiscible liquids in general can be thickened particularly effectively by use of an aqueous emulsion of water insoluble viscosifying polymer particles that are swellable but insoluble in the water-immiscible liquid. These insoluble particles have a dry size below 10 .mu.m and are formed from monomers of which 80 to 100% are hydrophobic, 30 to 100% are polar and hydrophobic, 0 to 20% are hydrophilic and not more than 30% by weight are aromatic.

Abstract: The combination of adhesion and rheology properties of aqueous adhesives the adhesive component of which is a water soluble or water swellable polymeric material can be improved by copolymerizing the monomers from which the polymeric material is obtained with an ethylenically unsaturated monomer that includes a pendant group --A.sub.m B.sub.n A.sub.p R where B is ethoxy, n is at least 2, A is propoxy or butoxy, m and p are each less than n and are preferably zero, and R is a hydrophobic group.

Abstract: A thermal energy storage composition is formed of a thermal energy storage hydrate and a solid, water swellable, thermally conducting polymer by blending particles of the polymer with the thermal energy storage hydrate.

Abstract: A suspension may be flocculated using a water soluble substantially linear polymer having a single point intrinsic viscosity above 3 and that is a copolymer of two or more ethylenically unsaturated monomers including at least 0.5% by weight of monomer carrying pendant hydrophobic groups. The cationic polymers are novel. Preferred polymers are those in which the hydrophobic group is introduced as an allyl ether.

Abstract: A thermal energy storage composition is formed of a thermal energy storage hydrate and a solid, water swellable, thermally conducting polymer by blending particles of the polymer with the thermal energy storage hydrate.

Abstract: Water-immiscible liquids, for example oil-based drilling fluids, are thickened by the addition of an aqueous dispersion of polymeric particles that are water-insoluble, and insoluble but swellable polymer, in the water immiscible liquid. The particles have a unswollen average diameter of less than 10 .mu.m and at least 30% by weight are preferably in the range 0.5 to 5 .mu.m. Preferred polymers are formed from more than 80% by weight hydrophobic monomers, preferably alkyl (meth) acrylates, and up to 20% hydrophilic monomers, preferably unsaturated carboxylic acids, preferably acrylic acid.

Abstract: Pigment dispersions contain, as dispersing agent novel water soluble polymers containing acid groups, preferably polyacrylic acid or copolymers of polyacrylic acid with AMPS, having polydispersity below 1.5 and molecular weight in the range about 1,000 to about 5,000.

Abstract: A water soluble polymer containing acid groups can be fractionated into higher and lower molecular weight fractions by partial neutralization of the polymer as a solution in a blend of water and a low molecular weight alcohol and separating the resultant aqueous and organic phases.

Abstract: Thermal energy storage compositions comprise a thermal energy storage material, for instance an inorganic hydrate that can undergo a change of hydration with accompanying release or storage of latent heat of hydration at a temperature of 10.degree. to 100.degree. C., held in a matrix of polymeric material, generally acrylic polymer. In one aspect of the invention the composition is in particulate form and so can, for instance, be poured into the heat exchanger in which it is to be used. In another aspect of the invention the storage material includes polyvalent metal ions and the polymeric material is a cationic polymer. In another aspect of the invention the composition is made by forming a solution, generally in water, of all the polymerizable material and most or all of the storage material and then polymerizing the polymerizable material in this solution. The solution is generally a low viscosity fluid and polymerization may be conducted in the heat exchanger vessel in which the composition is to be used.

Abstract: Concentrated (e.g. above 72% by weight) dispersions of calcium carbonate ground to a particle size such that at least 87% by weight of the particles are less than 2 .mu.m in size have a tendency to gel on standing. In the invention this tendency is minimized or eliminated by using, as dispersing agent, a copolymer of from 5 to 75% by weight AMPS and 95 to 25% by weight acrylic acid, or a water soluble salt thereof, having a molecular weight in the range 1000 to 20,000.

Abstract: Pigment dispersions contain, as dispersing agent novel water soluble polymers containing acid groups, preferably polyacrylic acid or copolymers of polyacrylic acid with AMPS, having polydispersity below 1.5 and molecular weight in the range about 1,000 to about 5,000.