(Meth)acrylic esters of monoalkoxylated polyols, and production thereof

• US 20060155057A1
• Filed: 06/30/2004
• Published: 07/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BASF AG (BASF SE)
• Original Assignee: BASF AG (BASF SE)
• Inventors: Dietsche, Frank, Riegel, Ulrich, Schwalm, Reinhold, Daniel, Thomas, Elliott, Mark, Hermeling, Dieter
• Granted Patent: US 7,772,420 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 525/50
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 15/60 Liquid-swellable gel-forming materials, e.g. super-absorbents
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 65/2606 containing hydroxyl groups
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 65/332 containing carboxyl groups, or halides, or esters thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 65/3322 acyclic
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 524/916 Hydrogel compositions

Abstract

Disclosed are novel (meth)acrylic esters of monoalkoxylated polyols, a process for their preparation and their use for preparing crosslinked swellable hydrogel-forming polymers and crosslinked swellable hydrogel-forming polymers.

Claims

1. (Meth)acrylic esters of monoalkoxylated polyols of a general formula (I)

2. (Meth)acrylic esters of monoalkoxylated polyols of claim 1 wherein

R¹ is hydrogen or methyl,

n is 2 or 3,

m is an integer from 2 to 50,

A is C₃ to C₁₀ alk(n+1)yl, and

B represents identical or different radicals selected from the group consisting of

wherein * identifies the positions of attachment.

3. (Meth)acrylic esters of monoalkoxylated polyols of claim 1 wherein

R¹ is hydrogen or methyl,

n is 2,

m is an integer from 3 to 30,

A is C₃ to C₆ alk(n+1)yl, and

B is

wherein * identifies the positions of attachment.

4. (Meth)acrylic esters of monoalkoxylated polyols of claim 1 wherein the polyol is glycerol.

5. A process for preparing (meth)acrylic esters of monoalkoxylated polyols of claim 1 comprising the steps of

a) hydrolyzing a partially protected monoalkoxylated polyol in the presence of at least one hydrolysis catalyst and water,

b) reacting the resulting monoalkoxylated polyol with (meth)acrylic acid in the presence of at least one esterification catalyst, at least one polymerization inhibitor, and optionally a water-azeotroping solvent to form the (meth)acrylic ester of the monoalkoxylated polyol,

c) optionally removing from the reaction mixture some or all of the water formed in b), during and/or after b),

d) optionally neutralizing the reaction mixture, and

e) when a solvent is used, optionally removing the solvent.

6. A swellable hydrogel-forming polymer comprising a copolymerized (meth)acrylic ester of general formula (I) according to claim 1 as an internal crosslinker.

7. A process for preparing crosslinked swellable hydrogel-forming polymers which comprises polymerizing an aqueous mixture comprising a hydrophilic monomer, optionally at least one further monoethylenically unsaturated compound, as least one (meth)acrylic ester of a monoalkoxylated polyol of general formula (I) of claim 1, at least one free-radical initiator, optionally at least one grafting base, and optionally the hydrogel-forming polymer obtained being postcrosslinked, dried, and brought to a desired particle size.

9. A hygiene article comprising a crosslinked swellable hydrogel-forming polymer of claim 6.

10. (Meth)acrylic esters of monoalkoxylated polyols of claim 2 wherein the polyol is glycerol.

11. (Meth)acrylic esters of monoalkoxylated polyols of claim 3 wherein the polyol is glycerol.

12. The process of claim 5 wherein steps a) and b) are performed in the same reactor.

13. The process of claim 5 wherein steps a) and b) are performed in different reactors.

14. A swellable hydrogel-forming polymer comprising a copolymerized (meth)acrylic ester of general formula (I) according to claim 2 as an internal crosslinker.

15. A swellable hydrogel-forming polymer comprising a copolymerized (meth)acrylic ester of general formula (I) according to claim 3 as an internal crosslinker.

16. A swellable hydrogel-forming polymer comprising a copolymerized (meth)acrylic ester of general formula (I) according to claim 4 as an internal crosslinker.

17. A hygiene article comprising a crosslinked swellable hydrogel-forming polymer of claim 14.

18. A hygiene article comprising a crosslinked swellable hydrogel-forming polymer of claim 15.

19. A hygiene article comprising a crosslinked swellable hydrogel-forming polymer of claim 16.

8. (canceled)