Copolymers and uses thereof
View Patent ↗The invention relates to a specific copolymer obtainable by co-polymerizing at least the following monomers: —more than 80 wt % of at least one bicyclic (meth)acrylate ester, —0.05 to 15% w/w styrene, and —optionally other ethylenically unsaturated monomers, as well as to the way to synthesize them and the use of such polymers to modify the rheology of a liquid in which they are soluble.
1. A copolymer comprising:
83-99.95 wt % of bicyclic (meth)acrylate esters (a),
0.05 to 12 wt % of styrene (b), and
0 to 19 wt % of ethylenically unsaturated monomers that are not monomer (a) or (b),
up to a total of 100 wt %, wherein the weight percentages of the monomers are based on the total weight of all the monomers incorporated into the copolymer, and wherein the copolymer has a cloud point in 80:20 (v/v) petrodiesel:gas to liquid diesel fuel of 12.5° C. or lower.
2. A copolymer according to claim 1 , wherein the bicyclic (meth)acrylate ester is of formula
wherein R is H or —CH 3 , A is —CH 2 —, —CH(CH 3 )— or —C(CH 3 ) 2 —, and M is covalently bonded to a carbon atom of the six-membered ring and is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and a methyl group or a plurality thereof.
3. A copolymer according to claim 1 , wherein the copolymer is a random co-polymer.
4. A copolymer according to claim 1 , comprising
85-99.95 wt % of bicyclic (meth)acrylate esters (a),
1 to 10 wt % of styrene (b), and
0 to 10 wt % of ethylenically unsaturated monomers not being a monomer (a) or (b),
up to a total of 100 wt %, wherein the weight percentages of the monomers are based on the total weight of all the monomers incorporated into the copolymer.
5. A copolymer according to claim 4 , comprising
90-99.95 wt % of bicyclic (meth)acrylate esters (a),
2.0 to 8.0 wt % of styrene (b), and
0 to 5 wt % of ethylenically unsaturated monomers not being a monomer (a) or (b),
up to a total of 100 wt %, wherein the weight percentages of the monomers are based on the total weight of all the monomers incorporated into the copolymer.
6. A copolymer according to claim 1 , comprising a total of bicyclic (meth)acrylate ester and styrene in an amount of 90 wt % or more of the total weight of all the monomers incorporated into the copolymer.
7. A copolymer according of claim 6 , comprising a total of bicyclic (meth)acrylate ester and styrene in an amount of 95 wt % or more.
8. A copolymer according to claim 7 , wherein the copolymer is produced from isobornyl methacrylate and styrene.
9. A copolymer according to claim 1 , having an average weight average molecular weight of from 100,000 to 50,000,000 D.
10. An additive package for fuel comprising the copolymer of claim 1 .
11. A method for the preparation of the copolymer of claim 1 , the method comprising the step of radically polymerizing the specified monomers.
12. A method for the preparation of an additive package for fuel, the method comprising combining the copolymer of claim 1 and one or more fuel additives.
13. A method of modifying the rheology of a fluid, the method comprising dissolving the copolymer of claim 1 into the fluid, wherein the fluid is not a fuel for combustion engines.
14. A copolymer according to claim 6 comprising a total bicyclic (meth) acrylic ether and styrene in an amount of 99 wt % or more.
15. A copolymer according to claim 1 having a cloud point in 80:20 (v/v) petrodiesel:gas to liquid diesel fuel of 0° C. or lower.