Copolyesteramides with decreased perfection of the amide sequence

1. A copolyesteramide polymer of formula (I):

wherein

R at each occurrence is independently an aliphatic group, a heteroaliphatic group, cycloalkylene, -alkylene-cycloalkyl-, -alkylene-cycloalkyl-alkylene-, -heteroalkylene-cycloalkyl-, -cycloalkyl-heteroalkylene-, -heteroalkylene-cycloalkyl-heteroalkylene-, or a polyalkylene oxide;

R′ and R″ at each occurrence are independently a bond or an aliphatic group, cycloalkylene, -alkylene-cycloalkyl-, or -alkylene-cycloalkyl-alkylene-;

R N is —N(R 2 )—Ra—N(R 2 )— where R 2 is independently H or C 1 -C 6 alkyl, Ra independently is a heterocycloalkylene group, an aliphatic group, cycloalkylene, -alkylene-cycloalkyl-, -cycloalkyl-alkylene-, or -alkylene-cycloalkyl-alkylene, wherein the heterocycloalkylene group contains two nitrogen atoms connecting the heterocycloalkylene to the adjacent carbonyl groups;

x is 1 or higher that represents the number of ester units and y is an integer of 2 or higher that represents the number of amide units in the copolymer;

each n independently represents an integer of 1 or greater; and

wherein the copolymer of formula (I) comprises two or more said amide units:

where n is 1 in at least half the number of said amide units; and

n is greater than 1 in at least one of said amide units,

with the copolymer having an H w of greater than 1.05 and less than 1.9, wherein H w is a weighted average value of n.

2. A polymer according to claim 1 wherein R at each occurrence is independently C 2 -C 12 alkylene.

3. A polymer according to claim 1 wherein R is C 2 -C 12 heteroalkylene.

4. A polymer according to claim 1 wherein R is a polyalkylene oxide.

5. A polymer according to claim 1 wherein R is polytetramethylene ether, polypropylene oxide, or polyethylene oxide.

6. A polymer according to claim 1 wherein R′ and R″ at each occurrence are C 2 -C 10 alkylene.

7. A polymer according to claim 1 wherein R N is —N(H)—Ra—N(H)— and R′ a is C 2 -C 12 alkylene.

8. A polymer according to claim 1 wherein R N is piperazin-1,4-diyl.

9. A polymer according to claim 1 , wherein there are two or more occurrences of R′ or R″ and in at least two of the two or more occurrences, the R′ or R″ are different.

10. A process for making a copolyesteramide polymer according to claim 1 , the process comprising:

(a) providing a monomer product comprising a mixture of two or more monomers of formula (A):

wherein R B is independently at each occurrence H or C 1 -C 6 alkyl,

and wherein each n independently is an integer of 1 or higher and n is 1 in at least half of the monomers and n is greater than 1 in at least one of the monomers, with the monomer product having an H w of greater than 1.05 and less than 1.9, wherein H w is a weighted average value of n;

(b) copolymerizing the monomers of formula (A) with a diacid or diester of formula (C):

R B O—OC(═O)—R′—C(═O)OR B   (formula (C))

and one or more diols of formula (D):

HO—R—OH  (formula (D)),

to provide the polymer of formula (I).

11. A process according to claim 10 wherein the monomer product of formula (A) is prepared by reacting a diamine of formula (B):

H—R N —H  (formula (B))

with a diacid or diester of formula (C):

R B O—OC(═O)—R″—C(═O)OR B   (formula (C)).

12. A process according to claim 10 wherein the one or more diols is a mixture of diols.

13. A process according to claim 12 wherein the mixture of diols is 1,4-butanediol and an isomer mixture of 1,3- and 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol.

14. A process according to claim 12 wherein the mixture of diols is 1,4-butanediol and polytetramethylene ether glycol.

15. A process according to claim 10 wherein the polymer of formula (I) is prepared by in-situ synthesis.

16. A process according to claim 10 wherein the polymer of formula (I) is prepared by a one-pot process.

17. A copolymer prepared by the process of claim 10 .

18. Polymers according to claim 1 having the formula: