Abstract: Compositions are described which comprise oxyalkylated polyglycerol esters, one or more organic solvents and water. The compositions are exceptionally suitable for the thickening of surfactant-containing systems.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of concentrates which comprise 10 to 80% by weight of a copolymer based on acryloyldimethyltauric acid or salts thereof, 20 to 90% by weight of a solvent or solvent mixture and/or one or more emulsifiers and 0 to 30% by weight of water is described. The concentrates can, for example, be used for the preparation of cosmetic, pharmaceutical and dermatological preparations.

Abstract: Water-soluble or water-swellable crosslinked copolymers consisting essentially of structural units of the formula 1 or a mixture of the structural units of the formula 1 with structural units of the formula 2 and structural units of the formula 3 where R, R1, R2, R3, Z and n are as defined in the description. These copolymers are crosslinked with compounds which contain at least two olefinic double bonds. These crosslinked copolymers are suitable as thickeners, in particular for cosmetic and pharmaceutical preparations.

Abstract: The invention provides water-soluble or water-swellable copolymers obtained by free-radical copolymerization of A) acryloyldimethyltaurine and/or acryloyldimethyltaurates, B) optionally, one or more other olefinically unsaturated, nopcationic comonomers, C) optionally, one or more olefinically unsaturated, cationic comonomers, D) optionally, (a) silicon-containing component(s), E) optionally, (a) fluorine-containing component(s), F) optionally, one or more macromonomers, G) the copolymerization taking place in the presence or absence of at least one polymeric additive, H) with the proviso that component A) is copolymerized with at least components selected from at least two of the groups C) to F). The water-soluble or water-swellable copolymers of the present invention are useful in formulating cosmetics.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of concentrates which comprise 5 to 80% by weight of a copolymer based on acryloyldimethyltauric acid or salts thereof, 20 to 95% by weight of one or more emulsifiers and/or a solvent or solvent mixture and 0 to 30% by weight of water is described. The concentrates can, for example, be used for the preparation of cosmetic, pharmaceutical and dermatological preparations.

Abstract: Process for preparing stable polymer concentrates, wherein acryloyldimethyltaurine and/or acryloyldimethyltaurate are free-radically polymerized with at least one further component in the presence of a polymerization medium, a higher-boiling solvent or solvent mixture is added to the resulting reaction product or reaction mixture, and the lower-boiling polymerization medium is removed, optionally under reduced pressure.

Abstract: Body-cleansing compositions are claimed which comprise oligoesters obtained by condensation of one or more dicarboxylic acids or esters thereof and one or more polyhydric alcohols.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the preparation of alk(en)ylphosphoric ester salts which comprises reacting the alk(en)ylphosphoric esters in the form of their melts with a base. Advantageously, the alk(en)ylphosphoric esters do not need to be dissolved in a solvent prior to neutralization.

Abstract: The invention relates to an interferometric method for measuring a height of a first region on a first surface, the first surface having first areas having first optical properties and second areas having second optical properties, the method comprising the steps of generating of first and second coherent light beams, reflecting at least the first coherent light beam from the first region into a first return beam and reflecting the second coherent light beam from a second region into a second return beam, measuring at least a first reflectivity of the first region, determining a topography-dependent phase shift of the first and second return beams for the height measurement based on the first reflectivity.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of optical probe surface inspection by interferometry, and in particular to a method and a respective apparatus for fine-controlling the position of a predetermined probe location (21) relative to a fixed reference point (12) of a probe processing apparatus fixedly coupled to an auxiliary optical laser apparatus, in which method the position is controlled with optical means. In order to simplify the apparatus it is proposed to provide a simply structured fine-control positioning system also based on the principle of interferometry. Basically, a lens-less optical arrangement is provided which uses a collimated input laser beam (10) and thus presetting said probe location position within a predetermined converging range of ¼ of the wave length of the applied fine-controlling positioning laser beam (10).

Abstract: An optical device has a rotatable birefringent crystal. The crystal is rotatable around a first axis (4; 42) and has a crystallographic-optical axis (6; 44) in a plane that is perpendicular to the first axis. In addition, the crystal is rotated around the first axis in order to control a displacement (&Dgr;x) of a light beam in the plane when the light beam is polarized within the plane and directed onto the crystal.

Abstract: The invention provides deodorants and antiperspirants comprising at least one copolymer obtainable by free-radical copolymerization of

Abstract: The invention relates to the use of copolymers consisting essentially of a1) 1 to 50% by weight of the repeat structural unit of the formula (1):  where n is an integer from 2 to 9 or a2) 1 to 50% by weight of a mixture of the repeat structural unit of the formula (1) and of the repeat structural unit of the formula (2):  where R, R1 and R2 may be identical or different and are hydrogen or a linear or branched alkyl or alkenyl group having in each case 1 to 30 carbon atoms, and b) 49.99 to 98.99% by weight of the repeat structural unit of the formula (3):  in which R3 is hydrogen, methyl or ethyl, Z is (C1-C8)-alkylene and X is an ammonium, alkali metal or alkaline earth metal ion and c) 0.01 to 8% by weight of crosslinking structures which originate from monomers having at least two olefinic double bonds, as thickeners in preparations comprising organic solvents.

Abstract: The invention relates to surfactant-free cosmetic, dermatological and pharmaceutical compositions, comprising at least one copolymer consisting essentially of a1) 1 to 50% by weight of the repeat structural unit of the formula (1)  where n is an integer from 2 to 9, or a2) 1 to 50% by weight of a mixture of the repeat structural unit of the formula (1) and the repeat structural unit of the formula (2)  where R, R1 and R2 may be identical or different and are hydrogen or a linear or branched alkyl or alkenyl group having in each case 1 to 30 carbon atoms and b) 49.99 to 98.99% by weight of the repeat structural unit of the formula (3)  in which R3 is hydrogen, methyl or ethyl, Z is (C1-C8)-alkylene, n is an integer from 2 to 9 and X is an ammonium, alkali metal or alkaline earth metal ion and c) 0.01 to 8% by weight of crosslinking structures which originate from monomers having at least two olefinic double bonds.

Abstract: Water-soluble or water-swellable crosslinked copolymers consisting essentially of structural units of the formula 1 or a mixture of the structural units of the formula 1 with structural units of the formula 2 and structural units of the formula 3 where R, R1, R2, R3, Z and n are as defined in the description. These copolymers are crosslinked with compounds which contain at least two olefinic double bonds. These crosslinked copolymers are suitable as thickeners, in particular for cosmetic and pharmaceutical preparations.

Abstract: Dispersion concentrates are claimed which comprise a copolymer based on acryloyldimethyltauric acid and cyclic N-vinylcarboxamides.

Abstract: The invention provides water-soluble polymers preparable by free-radical copolymerization of A) one or more macromonomers containing an end-group capable of polymerization, a hydrophilic moiety based on polyalkylene oxides, and a hydrophobic moiety which comprises hydrogen or a saturated or unsaturated, linear or branched, aliphatic, cycloaliphatic or aromatic (C1-C30)-hydrocarbon radical, and B) one or more olefinically unsaturated comonomers which contain oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus, chlorine and/or fluorine. The polymers are suitable as thickeners, dispersing agents, emulsifiers, suspending agents, stabilizers and/or bodying agents for aqueous preparations, emulsions and suspensions, in particular for cosmetic and pharmaceutical compositions.

Abstract: This invention relates to monoalkyl phosphoric esters, dialkyl phosphoric esters, and, in small amounts, trialkyl phosphoric esters or salts thereof, which are preferably based on &bgr;-branched fatty alcohols, particularly Guerbet alcohol, which are effective in lowering the surface tension of both polar and also nonpolar liquids, and which have high stability, even at elevated temperatures, and low sensitivity to electrolytes and acids. The invention further relates to the use of such mixtures as emulsifiers in cosmetic and pharmaceutical formulations, and to the resulting products.

Abstract: Emulsions are claimed which comprise oligoesters as emulsifiers. These oligoesters have hitherto only been used as soil release polymers.

Abstract: The invention relates to alkyl phosphates, in particular their mixtures, of the formula in which R is C12-C22-alkyl, preferably C14-C18-alkyl, X is a group of the formulae NH3R1, NH2R2R3 or NHR4R5R6, Y is as defined for R or is as defined for X, and R1 is C8-C22-alkyl, R2 and R3 are C1-C22-alkyl or cyclohexyl, and R4, R5 and R6 are C1-C4-alkyl. These compounds, in particular the mixtures of mono- and diesters, are suitable as emulsifiers in the preparation of aqueous emulsions.