COMPOSITIONS FOR HIGH STABILIZATION OF EMULSIONS
The instant invention concerns compositions suitable for stabilizing emulsions, which comprise a mixture of:—at least an alkanolamide emulsifier; and—a block copolymer comprising:—a hydrophilic block comprising units deriving from a mono-alpha-ethylenically-unsaturated monomers; and—a block B preferably deriving from a mono-alpha-ethylenically-unsaturated monomers
1 . A composition C comprising a mixture of:
at least an alkanolamide emulsifier; and
a block copolymer comprising:
a block A which is a hydrophilic block comprising units derived from mono-alpha-ethylenically-unsaturated monomers; and
a block B which is a hydrophobic block.
2 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the ratio copolymer/alkanolamide corresponding to the quotient of the total mass of copolymer contained in composition C, to the total mass of the alkanolamide emulsifier contained in composition C is between 1% and 40%.
3 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the alkanolamide emulsifier is a compound having the Formula (I) below:
R 1 —C(═O)—N[—(R 2 O) x H)][—(R 3 O) y H] (I)
wherein:
R 1 is an hydrocarbon chain bearing typically from 5 to 24 carbon atoms,
each of R 2 and R 3 , which are the same or not, is a hydrocarbon chain bearing from 2 to 4 carbon atoms,
each of x and y, which are the same or not, are of is between 1 and 5.
4 . The composition of claim 3 , wherein the alkanolamide emulsifier is a compound having the Formula (Ia) or (Ib) below:
R 1 —C(═O)—N(R 2 OH)(R 3 OH) (Ia)
R 1 —C(═O)—N(R 2 OH) 2 (Ib)
wherein R 1 , R 2 and R 3 are as defined in claim 3 .
5 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the block copolymer is a (block A)-(block B) di-block copolymer.
6 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the block A of the block copolymer comprises repeating units deriving from N-vinyl pyrrolidone, acrylamide and/or N,N-Dimethylacrylamide.
7 . The composition of claim 6 wherein the block A of the block copolymer comprises repeating units deriving from N-vinyl pyrrolidone and the block B of the block copolymer comprises repeating units deriving from 2-ethyl-hexyl acrylate.
8 . An emulsion comprising a composition C according to claim 1 .
9 . The emulsion of claim 8 , wherein it is an inverse emulsion containing PAM homo- or co-polymers in their dispersed aqueous phase.
10 . The emulsion of claim 8 , wherein the content of composition C is between 0.5% and 5%, in mass, based on the total mass of the emulsion containing the composition C.
11 . The emulsion of claim 8 , comprising from 1% to 2% of the alkanolamide emulsifier; and from 0.001% to 0.5% of the copolymer, in mass, based on the total mass of the emulsion containing the composition C.
12 . A method, comprising stabilizing an emulsion using the composition C of claim 1 .
13 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein block A is distinct from a block having a lower critical solubility temperature (LCST).
14 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein block B is derived from mono-alpha-ethylenically-unsaturated monomers.
15 . The composition of claim 2 , wherein the ratio copolymer/alkanolamide corresponding to the quotient of the total mass of copolymer contained in composition C, to the total mass of the alkanolamide emulsifier contained in composition C is between 2 and 20%.
16 . The emulsion of claim 10 , wherein the content of composition C is between 1% and 4% in mass, based on the total mass of the emulsion containing the composition C.
17 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the emulsion is an inverse emulsion.
18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the inverse emulsion contains a PAM homo- or co-polymer in its dispersed aqueous phase.