METHODS FOR RESISTING FROST ON A SUBSTRATE, COMPOSITIONS, AND COPOLYMERS USEFUL THEREFOR

1 - 16 . (canceled)

17 . A method for making a substrate frost resistant, the method comprising applying a composition to a substrate wherein the composition comprises a copolymer having repeating units derived from one or more zwitterionic monomers, typically one or more betaine monomers, and repeating units derived from one or more phosphorous acid monomers.

18 . The method according to claim 17 , wherein the repeating units derived from one or more zwitterionic monomers are repeating units derived from one or more betaine monomers.

19 . The method according to claim 17 , wherein the one or more betaine monomers are selected from the group consisting of:

a) alkyl sulfonates or phosphonates of dialkylammonium alkyl acrylates or methacrylates, acrylamide or methacrylamido;

b) heterocyclic betaine monomers;

c) alkyl or hydroxyalkyl sulfonates or phosphonates of dialkylammonium alkyl allylics, typically sulfopropylmethyldiallylammonium betaine;

d) alkyl or hydroxyalkyl sulfonates or phosphonates of dialkylammonium alkyl styrenes;

e) betaines resulting from ethylenically unsaturated anhydrides and dienes;

f) phosphobetaines of formulae

g) betaines resulting from cyclic acetals.

20 . The method according to claim 17 , wherein the one or more betaine monomers are selected from the group consisting of sulfohydroxypropyldimethylammonioethyl(meth)acrylamide and sulfopropyldimethylammonioethyl(meth)acrylate.

21 . The method according to claim 17 , wherein the repeating units derived from one or more phosphorous acid monomers are repeating units derived from:

a) phosphoric acid monomers in which at least one of the hydrogen atoms has been replaced with a double bond-containing organic group;

b) phosphonic acid monomers in which at least one of the hydrogen atoms has been replaced with a double bond-containing organic group; and

c) phosphinic acid monomers in which at least one of the hydrogen atoms has been replaced with a double bond-containing organic group.

22 . The method according to claim 21 , wherein the repeating units derived from one or more phosphorous acid monomers are repeating units derived from vinyl phosphonic acid.

23 . The method according to claim 17 , wherein the copolymer comprises up to 90 mol % of repeating units derived from phosphorous acid monomers, based on the molar composition of the copolymer.

24 . The method according to claim 17 , wherein the copolymer comprises greater than 30 mol % of repeating units derived from the one or more zwitterionic monomers, based on the molar composition of the copolymer.

25 . The method according to claim 17 , wherein the copolymer further comprises repeating units derived from monomers selected from the group consisting of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), hydroxypropyl methacrylate, 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate (HEA), hydroxypropyl acrylate, 4-hydroxybutyl acrylate, poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate (PEGMA), poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (mPEGMA), poly(ethylene glycol) ethyl ether methacrylate, poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether acrylate and poly(ethylene glycol) ethyl ether acrylate.

26 . The method according to claim 25 , wherein the copolymer comprises about 1 mol % to about 20 mol % of repeating units derived from phosphorous acid monomers, based on the molar composition of the copolymer.

27 . The method according to claim 25 , wherein the copolymer comprises about 80 mol % to about 99 mol % of repeating units derived from the one or more zwitterionic monomers and from the monomers selected from the group consisting of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), hydroxypropyl methacrylate, 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate (HEA), hydroxypropyl acrylate, 4-hydroxybutyl acrylate, poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate (PEGMA), poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (mPEGMA), poly(ethylene glycol) ethyl ether methacrylate, poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether acrylate and poly(ethylene glycol) ethyl ether acrylate based on the molar composition of the copolymer.

28 . The method according to claim 27 , wherein the molar ratio of repeating units derived from the one or more zwitterionic monomers with repeating units derived from the monomers selected from the group consisting of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), hydroxypropyl methacrylate, 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate (HEA), hydroxypropyl acrylate, 4-hydroxybutyl acrylate, poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate (PEGMA), poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (mPEGMA), poly(ethylene glycol) ethyl ether methacrylate, poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether acrylate and poly(ethylene glycol) ethyl ether acrylate.

29 . The method according to claim 17 , wherein the copolymer is a statistical copolymer the weight-average molar mass (Mw) of which is in the range of from about 5,000 to about 3,000,000 g/mol.

30 . The method according to claim 17 , wherein the copolymer is deposited on the substrate in an amount from 0.0001 to 100 mg/m 2 of the surface applied.

31 . The method of claim 30 , wherein the substrate is a metal or metal-containing substrate.

32 . The method according to claim 31 , wherein the metal is selected from the group consisting of aluminum and alloys thereof.