GB910799A - Plasticised polymers - Google Patents

Abstract

Aqueous dispersions of homopolymers or copolymers of acrylic or methacrylic esters are plasticized with an oxypropylene polymer containing a major proportion of the repeating unit of the formula -CH(CH3)CH2O-The polyoxypropylene chain may be terminated by alcoholic hydroxyl, ester, ether, amide, carboxyl, amine, mercapto, hydrazide or phosphate groups. Preferred polyoxypropylenes are polypropylene glycols 200-1500, but these may also be used products obtained by reacting polypropylene glycols with ethylene oxide, or vice versa, and by reacting propylene oxide with compounds such as saccharides or trimethylol propane. Acrylic and methacrylic esters specified are ethyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate, n-butyl methacrylate and ethoxyethyl methacrylate, which may be used in admixture with one another or with other monomers, e.g. vinyl esters, maleates and fumarates, styrene and acrylonitrile. The oxypropylene polymer is preferably incorporated in the acrylic or methacrylic ester at the time of its polymerization. In the examples: (1) a mixture of polypropylene glycol and n-butyl methacrylate is added gradually to a heated aqueous medium containing ammonium persulphate and Turkey Red Oil, (2) as in (1) but using a mixture of ethoxyethyl and methyl methacrylates, (3) as in (1) but using ethoxyethyl methacrylate, and (4) as in (1) but using a mixture of ethyl acrylate and methyl methacrylate.