Method for producing a material with a network of at least two polymers, a product thereof and use of the product

1. A process for producing an interpenetrating network (IPN) material comprising:

i) providing an aqueous solution comprising a copolymer of vinylamine-vinylformamide, and at least one monomer selected from a group consisting of acrylamide or derivatives thereof, acrylic acid or derivatives thereof, or a mixture thereof;

ii) polymerizing in situ the at least one monomer selected from the group consisting of acrylamide or derivatives thereof, acrylic acid or derivatives thereof, or a mixture thereof to form the IPN material together with the copolymer of vinylamine-vinylformamide; and

iii) obtaining the IPN material.

2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the acrylamide derivative is selected from a group consisting of N-methylolacrylamide, N-methylol(meth)acrylamide, N, N-dimethylaminopropyl acrylamide, N, N-dimethylaminopropylacrylamide, N, N-dimethylaminopropylmethacrylamide, N-dimethylaminoethylacrylamide, N-[2-(dimethylamino)-1,1-dimethylethyl]acrylamide; and

the acrylic acid derivative is selected from cationic acrylic acid or anionic acrylic acid.

3. The process according to claim 2 , wherein the cationic acrylic acid is selected from a group consisting of 2-(acryloyloxy)ethyl]trimethylammonium chloride, (3-acrylamidopropyl)trimethyl ammonium chloride, 2-(diethylamino)ethyl acrylate, 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl acrylate, [2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl]-trimethylammonium chloride, [3-(methacryloylamino)propyl]trimethylammonium chloride.

4. The process according to claim 2 , wherein the anionic acrylic acid is selected from a group consisting of acrylic acid, acryloyl chloride, methacrylic acid, 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid, sodium 2-(acryloylamino)2-methyl-1-propanesulfonate.

5. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one monomer are acrylamide and cationic acrylic acid; and

acrylamide and [2-(acryloyloxy)ethyl]-trimethyl ammonium chloride.

6. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the copolymer of vinylamine-vinylformamide a has degree of hydrolysis 1-99%.

7. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the copolymer of vinylamine-vinylformamide has degree of hydrolysis 99-100%.

8. The process according to claim 1 , wherein there is present a cross-linking agent in the step ii), the cross-linking agent present in the step ii) is selected from a group consisting of N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide 1,4-bis(acryloyl)piperazine, N,N′-(1-methyl-1,2-ethanediyl)bis(2-propenamide), N,N′-propylidenebis(2-propenamide), N, N′-butylidenebis(2-propenamide), N, N′-1,12-dodecanediylbis(2-propenamide), N, N′-1,9-nonanediylbis(2-propenamide), N,N′-1,5-pentanediylbis(2-propenamide), N, N′-1,4-butanediylbis(2-propenamide), N, N′-1,6-hexanediylbis(2-propenamide), N,N′-ethylidenebis(2-propenamide), N,N′-1,3-propanediylbis(2-propenamide), N, N′-1,2-ethanediylbis(2-propenamide), N,N′-1,4-cyclohexanediylbis(2-propenamide), N, N′-1,8-octanediylbis(2-propenamide), N,N′-bisacryloyly imidazoline, ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate, 1,4-diacroyl piperazine, pentaerythritol triacrylate, trimethylpropane trimethylacrylate, pentaerythritol tetraacrylate or N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide.

9. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the obtained IPN material from iii) is dried or dried and milled.

10. The process according to claim 1 , wherein an amount of the copolymer of vinylamine-vinylformamide is 0.1-75 wt. % based on the weight of the monomers in the solution.

11. An interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) material comprising:

copolymer of vinylamine-vinylformamide; and

a homopolymer or a copolymer of at least one monomer selected from acrylamide or derivatives thereof, acrylic acid or derivatives thereof, or a mixture thereof forming the IPN material together with the copolymer of vinylamine-vinylformamide, wherein the copolymer of vinylamine-vinylformamide has a degree of hydrolysis between 1-99%.

12. The IPN material according to claim 11 , wherein the homopolymer or the copolymer is cationic.

13. The IPN material according to claim 11 , wherein the polymer is a copolymer of acrylamide and cationic acryl acid.

14. The IPN material according to claim 11 , wherein the IPN material is in a form of an emulsion.

15. The IPN material according to claim 11 , wherein standard viscosity of the IPN material is 1-5 cP, measured with Brookfield viscometer using UL adapter at 25° C.

16. The IPN material according to claim 11 , wherein an amount of the copolymer of vinylamine-vinylformamide is 0.1-75 wt. % based on the weight of the IPN material.

17. The IPN material according to claim 11 , wherein the copolymer of vinylamine-vinylformamide has degree of hydrolysis 99-100%.