Sulfonated graft copolymers

1. A sulfonated graft copolymer comprising:

one or more synthetic monomers, wherein the one or more synthetic monomers is at least one monoethylenically unsaturated sulfonated monomer having a sulfonic acid group or salt thereof, wherein the sulfonated monomer is about 2 to about 50 percent by weight of the total synthetic monomer weight of the copolymer; and

a hydroxyl-containing naturally derived material selected from the group consisting of corn syrups and maltodextrins,

wherein the one or more synthetic monomers and hydroxyl-containing naturally derived materials are present in a weight ratio of 50:50 to 10:90, respectively, and

wherein the sulfonated graft copolymer is obtained by radical graft copolymerization of the one or more synthetic monomers in the presence of the hydroxyl-containing naturally derived material; and wherein the sulfonated graft copolymer further comprises 5 to 90 wt %, based on total weight of the one or more synthetic monomers, of at least one monoethylenically unsaturated C 3 -C 10 carboxylic acid, or salt thereof, or 0.1 to 50 wt %, based on total weight of the one or more synthetic monomers, of at least one monoethylenically unsaturated C 4 -C 10 dicarboxylic acid, or salt thereof

2. The sulfonated graft copolymer according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more synthetic monomers and hydroxyl-containing naturally derived materials are present in a weight ratio of 40:60 to 10:90, respectively.

3. The sulfonated graft copolymer according to claim 1 wherein the synthetic monomers further comprise one or more monomers having a nonionic, hydrophobic and/or carboxylic acid group, wherein the one or more monomers are incorporated into the copolymer in an amount of about 10 wt % or less based on total weight of the graft copolymer.

4. The sulfonated graft copolymer according to claim 1 wherein the hydroxyl-containing naturally derived material is water soluble.

5. The sulfonated graft copolymer according to claim 1 wherein the sulfonated monomer is selected from the group consisting of 2-acrylamido-2-methyl propane sulfonic acid, vinyl sulfonic acid, sodium (meth)allyl sulfonate, sulfonated styrene, (meth)allyloxybenzene sulfonic acid, sodium 1-allyloxy 2 hydroxy propyl sulfonate and combinations thereof.

6. The sulfonated graft copolymer according to claim 1 where the hydroxyl-containing naturally derived material is a maltodextrin.

7. A water soluble copolymer composition comprising the graft copolymer of claim 1 and an adjunct ingredient selected from the group consisting of water, builders, surfactants, bleaching agents, bleach modifying materials, carriers, acids, corrosion inhibitors, aesthetic agents, phosphates, sodium carbonate, citrates, buffers, chelants, filler salts, dispersants, enzymes, enzyme boosters, perfumes, thickeners, clays, solvents, hydrotropes, bleaching agents, bleach precursors, buffering agents, soil removal agents, soil release agents, fabric softening agent, opacifiers, water treatment chemicals, orthophosphates, zinc compounds, tolyltriazole, minerals, clays, salts, metallic ores, metallic oxides, talc, pigments, titanium dioxide, mica, silica, silicates, carbon black, iron oxide, kaolin clay, modified kaolin clays, calcium carbonate, synthetic calcium carbonates, fiberglass, drilling muds, viscosifiers, weighting materials, cement and aluminum oxide.

8. The composition of claim 7 wherein the formulation is selected from the group consisting of a cleaning formulation, a fiberglass binder formulation, an oil field application formulation, a water treatment formulation, a scale inhibition formulation, a dispersant formulation, a drilling fluid formulation, a spacer fluid formulation and a cement formulation.

9. The composition of claim 8 wherein the cleaning formulation is a detergent, fabric cleaner, automatic dishwashing detergent, glass cleaner, hard surface cleaner or a laundry detergent.

10. The composition of claim 9 wherein the automatic dishwashing detergent is a zero-phosphate or low phosphate formulation.

11. A method of cementing a subterranean zone penetrated by a well bore comprising:

preparing a cement composition comprising a hydraulic cement, water in an amount effective to form a slurry, and the graft copolymer of claim 1 ;

placing the cement composition in the subterranean zone; and

allowing the cement composition to set therein.

12. A method of controlling scale in aqueous systems comprising adding the sulfonated graft copolymer according to claim 1 to an aqueous system.

13. The method of controlling scale in aqueous systems according to claim 12 wherein the copolymer is effective to inhibit formation of scale formed by calcium carbonate, halite, calcium phosphate, calcium sulfate, barium sulfate, strontium sulfate, iron sulfide, lead sulfide, zinc sulfide or mixtures thereof.

14. The method of controlling scale in aqueous systems according to claim 12 further comprising injecting the sulfonated graft copolymer into an oil-bearing rock formation matrix, wherein the aqueous systems are in an oil field application.

15. The method of controlling scale in aqueous systems according to claim 12 further comprising adding the sulfonated graft copolymer topside to production water, and re-injecting the production water into the oil-bearing rock formation matrix, wherein the aqueous systems are in an oil field application.

16. The method of controlling scale in aqueous systems according to claim 12 further comprising introducing the sulfonated graft polymer to the aqueous system in a carrier fluid.

17. The method of controlling scale in aqueous systems according to claim 16 wherein the carrier fluid is methanol.

18. A method for displacing drilling fluid from a wellbore space occupied by the drilling fluid comprising:

displacing the drilling fluid with a spacer fluid comprising the graft polymer of claim 1 and water;

and displacing at least a portion of the spacer fluid with a settable cement composition.

19. The method for displacing drilling fluid according to claim 18 wherein the spacer fluid comprises from about 1 to about 10 pounds of dispersant per barrel of spacer fluid.

20. The method according to claim 18 wherein the spacer fluid further comprises:

a cementitious material; and

a viscosifier selected from the group consisting of from welan gum, xanthan gum, hydroxyethyl cellulose, carboxymethylhydroxyethyl cellulose, attapulgite, partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide; sepiolite, bentonite, acrylamide, acrylic acid, 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid copolymers, polyvinylpyrrolidone, silicate extenders and mixtures thereof.

21. The method according to claim 18 wherein the spacer fluid further comprises at least one cement property modifier selected from the group consisting of nonionic water wetting surfactants, anionic water wetting surfactants, retarders, dispersants, densifiers, fluid loss additives, silica flour and mixtures thereof.

22. The method according to claim 18 wherein the spacer fluid further comprises a weighting material selected from the group consisting of barite, hematite, illmenite, calcium carbonate and sand.

23. The method according to claim 18 wherein the spacer fluid further comprises at least one anionic surfactant.

24. The method according to claim 18 wherein the spacer fluid further comprises at least a nonionic surfactant.

25. A method for dispersing a plurality of particulates in an aqueous system comprising adding to the aqueous system the graft copolymer of claim 1 in an amount sufficient to disperse the plurality of particulates.

26. The method of dispersing a plurality of particulates of claim 25 wherein the particulates are selected from the group consisting of minerals, clays, salts, metallic ores, metallic oxides, dirt, soils, talc, pigments, titanium dioxide, mica, silica, silicates, carbon black, iron oxide, kaolin clay, calcium carbonate, synthetic calcium carbonates, precipitated calcium carbonate, ground calcium carbonate, precipitated silica and kaolin clay.