Copolymer for surface processing or modification

1. A process comprising treating or modifying a hard surface with a composition comprising a copolymer comprising cationic units A and other units B, wherein:

the units A comprise at least one quaternary ammonium group or one inium group, and

the units B are units deriving from a monomer of formula:

CH 2 ═CR 1 —CO—X—R 2 —OH

wherein

R 1 comprises a hydrogen atom or a methyl group;

X comprises —O— or —NH—; and

R 2 comprises a divalent C 1 -C 4 group;

and wherein said copolymer is devoid of anionic and potentially anionic units, wherein said treating or modifying the hard surface comprises contacting the hard surface with the composition.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises at least one surfactant.

3. The process of claim 1 , wherein the copolymer promotes dewetting and/or rapid and/or mark-free drying of said surface.

4. The process of claim 1 , wherein treating or modifying said surface comprises applying said composition to said surface,

further wherein said composition is optionally diluted in water before said application.

5. The process of claim 1 , wherein the copolymer is a linear random copolymer.

6. The process of claim 1 , wherein the units A and B comprise from 1 to 100 mol % of the units of the copolymer.

7. The process of claim 1 , wherein the copolymer comprises:

from 1 to 25 mol % of units A,

from 50 to 99 mol % of units B, and

optionally other units,

further wherein the total of all the units is equal to 100 mol %.

8. The process of claim 1 , wherein the molar ratio of the units A to the units B ranges from 1/99 to 25/75.

9. The process of claim 1 , wherein the copolymer further comprises:

hydrophilic or hydrophobic nonionic units C N ,

cationic or potentially cationic units C C , which are different from the units A, and/or

zwitterionic units C Z .

10. The process of claim 9 , wherein the copolymer further comprises units C N deriving from a vinyllactam.

11. The process of claim 10 , wherein the copolymer comprises:

from 1 to 25 mol % of units A,

from 50 to 98 mol % of units B, and

from 1 to 49 mol % of units deriving from a vinyllactam,

wherein the total of all these units being equal to 100 mol %.

12. The process of claim 1 , wherein:

the copolymer is devoid of zwitterionic units.

13. The process of claim 1 , wherein:

R 1 is a hydrogen atom,

X is —O—, and

R 2 comprises a divalent C 1 -C 4 alkyl group.

14. The process of claim 1 , wherein the units A comprise units deriving from the following cationic monomers A:

trimethylammoniopropyl methacrylate chloride;

trimethylammonioethylacrylamide;

methacrylamide chloride or bromide;

trimethylammoniobutylacrylamide;

methylacrylamide methyl sulfate;

trimethylammoniopropylmethacrylamide methyl sulfate (MAPTA MeS);

(3-methacrylamidopropyl)trimethylammonium chloride (MAPTAC);

(3-acrylamidopropyl)trimethylammonium chloride (APTAC);

methacryloyloxyethyltrimethylammonium chloride or methyl sulfate;

acryloyloxyethyltrimethylammonium salts (ADAMQUAT);

1-ethyl-2-vinylpyridinium or 1-ethyl-4-vinylpyridinium bromide, chloride or methyl sulfate;

N,N-dimethyldiallylammonium chloride (DADMAC);

dimethylaminopropylmethacrylamide, N—(3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyl)trimethylammonium chloride (DIQUAT);

a monomer of formula:

wherein X − is an anion comprising chloride or methyl sulfate; or

a mixture or combination thereof.

15. The process of claim 1 , wherein the units A derive from N,N-dimethyldiallylammonium chloride (DADMAC), and the units B derive from hydroxyethyl acrylate (HEA).

16. The process of claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises at least one liquid vector comprising water, an alcohol or a mixture thereof.

17. The process of claim 1 , wherein the treatment comprises cleaning dishes automatically or by hand.