COMPOSITION COMPRISING A NON-IONIC SURFACTANT AND AN IONIC POLYMER
The invention relates to compositions, preferably solid compositions, comprising a non-ionic surfactant and an ionic polymer, methods for their preparation and their use. The compositions are useful inter alia as flocculation auxiliaries for solid-liquid separation processes, for example in sludge dewatering/waste water purification and as retention aids or other additives in paper manufacture.
1 . A composition, comprising
(i) a non-ionic surfactant R 1 —O-A-O—R 2 , wherein
residue —O-A-O— is derived from a polyalkylene glycol HO-A-OH that comprises monomer units derived from an (C 2 -C 6 )-alkylene glycol or a mixture of at least two different (C 2 -C 6 )-alkylene glycols,
R 1 is selected from the group consisting of —H, —(C 8 -C 20 )-alkyl, —(C 8 -C 20 )-alkenyl, —(C═O)—(C 8 -C 20 )-alkyl and —(C═O)—(C 8 -C 20 )-alkenyl, and
R 2 is selected from the group consisting of —H, —(C 1 -C 6 )-alkyl, -benzyl, —(C═O)—(C 8 -C 20 )-alkyl and —(C═O)—(C 8 -C 20 )-alkenyl; and
(ii) a water-soluble ionic polymer.
2 . The composition according to claim 1 , which is a solid.
3 . The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the residue —O-A-O— is derived from a polyalkylene glycol HO-A-OH that comprises monomer units derived from ethylene glycol or a mixture of ethylene glycol and propylene glycol.
4 . The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the residue —O-A-O— is derived from a polyalkylene glycol HO-A-OH that comprises 2-130 monomer units derived from ethylene glycol and 0-60 monomer units derived from propylene glycol.
5 . The composition according to claim 3 , wherein the monomer units derived from the ethylene glycol and the monomer units derived from the propylene glycol are present in any order or form two or more separate blocks.
6 . The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the non-ionic surfactant R 1 —O-A-O—R 2 is represented by formula (A)
wherein
R 1 is selected from the group consisting of —H, —(C 9 -C 20 )-alkyl, —(C 8 -C 20 )-alkenyl, —(C═O)—(C 8 -C 20 )-alkyl and —(C═O)—(C 8 -C 20 )-alkenyl,
R 2 is selected from the group consisting of —H, —(C 1 -C 6 )-alkyl, -benzyl, —(C═O)—(C 8 -C 20 )-alkyl and —(C═O)—(C 8 -C 20 )-alkenyl,
o and p are integers of from 0 to 130, and a sum of o and p is within a range of from 2 to 130;
q and r are integers of from 0 to 60, and a sum of q and r is within a range of from 0 to 60; and
optionally with the proviso that if R 1 and R 2 are both H, the sum of q and r is not 0.
7 . The composition according to claim 1 , wherein
the non-ionic surfactant R 1 —O-A-O—R 2 has a HLB not exceeding 14,
the ionic polymer is water-soluble or water-swellable, or
both.
8 . The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the non-ionic surfactant R 1 —O-A-O—R 2 is present in an amount of from 0.05 wt % to 2.0 wt %, based on a total weight of the composition.
9 . The composition according to claim 1 , wherein a relative weight ratio of the non-ionic surfactant R 1 —O-A-β—R 2 to the ionic polymer is within a range of from 0.05:100 to 2:100.
10 . The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the ionic polymer is derived from a monomer composition comprising at least one of
a) a non-ionic ethylenically unsaturated monomer,
b) a cationic ethylenically unsaturated monomer, and
c) an anionic ethylenically unsaturated monomer.
11 . The composition according to claim 10 , wherein
the non-ionic ethylenically unsaturated monomer is selected from the group consisting of
(a1) a non-ionic monomer of formula (I)
wherein
R 3 represents hydrogen or C 1 -C 3 -alkyl, and
R 4 and R 5 each independently represent hydrogen, C 1 -C 5 -alkyl or C 1 -C 5 -hydroxyalkyl; and
(a2) a non-ionic amphiphilic monomer of formula (II)
wherein
Z 1 represents O, NH or NR 9 with R 9 being C 1 -C 3 -alkyl,
R 6 represents hydrogen or C 1 -C 3 -alkyl,
R 7 represents C 2 -C 6 -alkylene,
R 8 represents at least one of hydrogen, C 8 -C 32 -alkyl, C 8 -C 32 -aryl and C 8 -C 32 -aralkyl, and
n represents an integer between 1 and 50;
the cationic ethylenically unsaturated monomer is a monomer of formula (III)
wherein
R 10 represents hydrogen or C 1 -C 3 -alkyl;
Z 2 represents O, NH or NR 11 with R 11 being C 1 -C 3 -alkyl; and
Y 0 represents C 2 -C 6 -alkylene, optionally substituted with one or more hydroxy groups,
Y 1 , Y 2 , and Y 3 , each independently represent C 1 -C 6 -alkyl, and
X − represents halogen, pseudo-halogen, acetate or SO 4 CH 3 − ; and
the anionic ethylenically unsaturated monomer is selected from the group consisting of
(c1) an ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid, a carboxylic anhydride, and a water-soluble alkali metal salt, alkaline earth metal salt, and an ammonium salt thereof,
(c2) an ethylenically unsaturated sulfonic acid and a water-soluble alkali metal salt, an alkaline earth metal salt, and an ammonium salt thereof,
(c3) an ethylenically unsaturated phosphonic acid and a water-soluble alkali metal salt, an alkaline earth metal salt, and an ammonium salt thereof, and
(c4) a sulfomethylated, phosphonomethylated, or both sulfomethylated and phosphonomethylated acrylamide and a water-soluble alkali metal salt, an alkaline earth metal salt, and an ammonium salt thereof.
12 . The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the ionic polymer is derived from a monomer composition
not comprising any cross-linking monomers, or
comprising not more than 50 ppm cross-linking monomers, relative to a total content of monomers in the monomer composition.
13 . The composition according to claim 1 , further comprising an ionic polymeric dispersant.
14 . The composition according to claim 1 , obtained by a process comprising
(i) subjecting an aqueous reaction mixture comprising
at least one of a non-ionic ethylenically unsaturated monomer, a cationic ethylenically unsaturated monomer, and an anionic ethylenically unsaturated monomer,
optionally an ionic polymeric dispersant, and
optionally a non-ionic surfactant,
to a radical polymerization by adiabatic gel polymerization, thereby obtaining a gel;
(ii) optionally crushing or chopping the gel, thereby obtaining a crushed or chopped gel;
(iii) drying the gel or the crushed or chopped gel at a temperature of from 70 to 150° C., thereby obtaining a dried material;
(iv) optionally grinding the dried material; and
(v) adding the non-ionic surfactant R 1 —O-A-O—R 2 ;
wherein said adding (v) is performed before said subjecting (i), after said optionally grinding (iv), or at any time in between.
15 . An article comprising the composition according to claim 1 , wherein the article is
a flocculating auxiliary in sedimentation, flotation or filtration of solids,
a thickener, or
an additive in papermaking.
16 . A method for purifying waste water or conditioning potable water the method comprising: introducing the composition according to claim 1 into the waste water or the potable water.