Amic acids and imides derived from terpolymers

1. The polymer comprising:

(a) a first repeating unit selected from the group consisting of:

and combinations thereof, and

(b) a second repeating unit selected from the group consisting of:

and combinations thereof, wherein R 1 is a C 1 -C 7 alkyl group, R 2 is a C 8 -C 30 alkyl group, R 3 is a C 1 -C 30 alkyl group, and M is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, ammonium salts, and combinations thereof.

2. The polymer according to claim 1 , further comprising a repeating unit selected from the group consisting of:

and combinations thereof; wherein R 1 is a C 1 -C 7 alkyl group, R 2 is a C 8 -C 30 alkyl group, and M is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, ammonium salts, and combinations thereof.

3. The polymer according to claim 2 , wherein R 1 is CH 3 , R 2 is C 12 H 25 , R 3 is selected from the group consisting of C 4 H 9 , C 8 H 17 , C 12 H 25 , and C 16 H 33 , and M is H or Na.

4. The polymer according to claim 2 , wherein the polymer is represented by the following structure:

wherein R 1 is a C 1 -C 7 alkyl group, R 2 is a C 8 -C 30 alkyl group, R 3 is a C 1 -C 30 alkyl group, and M is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, ammonium salts, and combinations thereof, wherein a, b, c, d, e, and f are molar amounts, the sum of which equals 100%, providing that c and d are not both zero at the same time.

5. The polymer according to claim 4 , wherein the polymer is represented by the following structure:

wherein R 1 is a C 1 -C 7 alkyl group, R 2 is a C 8 -C 30 alkyl group, R 3 is a C 1 -C 30 alkyl group, and M is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, ammonium salts, and combinations thereof, wherein a, b, c, d, e, and f are molar amounts, the sum of which equals 100%, providing that c and d are not both zero at the same time and e and f are not both zero at the same time.

6. The polymer according to claim 4 , selected from the group consisting of:

7. A composition comprising a polymer comprising: (a) maleic anhydride, (b) a first C 1 -C 7 alkyl vinyl ether monomer, and (c) a second C 8 -C 30 alkyl vinyl ether monomer, wherein the polymer contains an amic acid or an imide group.

8. The composition according to claim 7 , comprising:

(a) a first repeating unit selected from the group consisting of:

and combinations thereof, and

(b) a second repeating unit selected from the group consisting of:

and combinations thereof, wherein R 1 is a C 1 -C 7 alkyl group, R 2 is a C 8 -C 30 alkyl group, R 3 is a C 1 -C 30 alkyl group, and M is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, ammonium salts, and combinations thereof.

9. The composition according to claim 8 , further comprising a repeating unit selected from the group consisting of:

and combinations thereof; wherein R 1 is a C 1 -C 7 alkyl group, R 2 is a C 8 -C 30 alkyl group, and M is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkali metals alkaline earth metals, ammonium salts, and combinations thereof.

10. The composition according to claim 9 , wherein R 1 is CH 3 , R 2 is C 12 H 25 , R 3 is selected from the group consisting of C 4 H 9 , C 8 H 7 , C 2 H 25 , and C 16 H 33 , and M is H or Na.

11. The composition according to claim 9 , wherein the polymer is represented by the following structure:

wherein R 1 is a C 1 -C 7 alkyl group, R 2 is a C 8 -C 30 alkyl group, R 3 is a C 1 -C 30 alkyl group, and M is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, ammonium salts, and combinations thereof, wherein a, b, c, d, e, and f are molar amounts, the sum of which equals 100%, providing that c and d are not both zero at the same time.

12. The composition according to claim 11 , wherein the polymer is represented by the following structure:

wherein R 1 is a C 1 -C 7 alkyl group, R 2 is a C 8 -C 30 alkyl group, R 3 is a C 1 -C 30 alkyl group, and M is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, ammonium salts, and combinations thereof, wherein a, b, c, d, e, and f are molar amounts, the sum of which equals 100%, providing that c and d are not both zero at the same time and e and f are not both zero at the same time.

13. The composition according to claim 11 , selected from the group consisting of:

14. The composition according to claim 7 , wherein the composition is selected from the group consisting of adhesives, aerosols, agricultural agents, anti-soil redeposition agents, battery agents, beverages, biocides, cementing agents, cleaning agents, coating agents, conductive materials, cosmetic agents, dental agents, detergents, dispersants, drugs, electronics, encapsulations, foods, hair sprays, household-industrial agents, inks and coatings, interlaminate adhesives, lithographic solutions, membrane additive agents, metal working fluids, oilfield agents, paints, paper agents, personal care agents, pharmaceuticals, pigments, plasters, plastics, printing agents, reactive biocides, reactive rheology modifiers, refractive index modifiers, sequestrants, soil release agents, static control agents, and wood-care agents.

15. The composition according to claim 14 , wherein the personal care agent composition is selected from the group consisting of adhesives, antiperspirants and deodorants, cosmetics, drug delivery systems, facial compositions, hair compositions, modified natural oils, oil compositions, oral care agents, pharmaceutical compositions, pigments, skin and tissue compositions, sun care products, tablet coatings, thermal protection, toothpaste compositions, transdermal patches, wear resistance, and wrinkle reduction.