Granted Patent B2

US 9,354,530 · App. 13/316,585 · Granted May 31, 2016

Abstract

Claims (16)

1. A polyester polymer consisting of 25 units, wherein a unit consists of an acid residue and an alcohol residue, wherein two adjacent units each consist of a single pendant carboxylic acid side group or a single pendant carboxylic acid salt side group on said acid residue of each said unit, and the remaining 23 units are non-functionalized wherein said polymer of 25 units forms a micelle of at least about 60 Å at 330K.

2. The polyester polymer of claim 1 , wherein the polyester polymer provides an interfacial tension of at least 35 mJ/m 2 at 330K.

3. The polyester polymer of claim 1 , wherein said polymer forms micelles of at least about 45 Å at 360K.

4. The polyester polymer of claim 1 , wherein said adjacent units are at a terminus of said polymer.

5. The polyester polymer of claim 1 , wherein the polyester polymer provides an interfacial tension of at least 25 mJ/m 2 at 360K.

6. A self-assembling micelle consisting essentially of the polyester polymer of claim 1 , which is stable at temperatures from about 20° C. to about 90° C.

7. The self-assembling micelle of claim 6 , having a solids loading of from about 3 wt % to about 15 wt %.

8. The self-assembling micelle of claim 6 , having a diameter of at least about 55 Å at 360K.

9. A method of forming a micelle, comprising:

suspending the polyester polymer of claim 1 in an aqueous medium to form a mixture;

heating said mixture to form a solution; and

cooling said solution to obtain said micelle,

wherein said polymer has an increase of interfacial surface tension on cooling.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein said heating comprises exposing said mixture to a temperature no greater than about 90° C.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein said cooling results in the solution at room temperature.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein said micelle comprises a diameter of at least about 40 Å.

Assignments (11)