Hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose thickening agents for organic liquids

• US 4,614,545 A
• Filed: 08/15/1985
• Issued: 09/30/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Dow Chemical Company (Dow, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The Dow Chemical Company (Dow, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hess, Roland H. P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Morris, Theodore
• Application Number:
  US06/765,788
• Time in Patent Office: 411 Days
• Field of Search: 106/170, 106/197.1, 106/189, 106/169, 106/178, 106/186-190, 536/91, 536/88
• US Class Current: 106/194.1
• CPC Class Codes: C08B 11/193 Mixed ethers, i.e. ethers with two or more different etherifying groups
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 1/28 Alkyl ethers
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 9/005 containing organic solvents
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 3/00 Materials not provided for elsewhere
• CPC Class Codes: C10L 7/04 alcohol

Abstract

Hydroxypropyl cellulose ethers which have a methoxyl substitution of from 21% to 35% and a hydroxypropoxyl substitution of from 14% to 35% and which have a viscosity of at least about 50 mPa·s as a 2 weight percent aqueous solution are useful as thickening agents for organic liquids, optionally mixed with water.

Claims

1. A method for thickening an organic liquid or a mixture thereof with water by adding a thickening amount of a hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose ether which has a methoxyl substitution of from 21% to 35%, a hydroxypropoxyl substitution of from 18% to 35% and a sum of the methoxyl and hydroxypropoxyl substitution of from 39% to 70% and which has a viscosity of at least about 1,000 mPa·

s as a 2 weight percent aqueous solution at 20°

C.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the added cellulose ether has a sum of the methoxyl and hydroxypropoxyl substitution of from 40% to 65%.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the added cellulose ether has a methoxyl substitution of from 22% to 32% and a hydroxypropoxyl substitution of from 18% to 31%.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the added cellulose ether has a methoxyl substitution of from 24% to 30% and a hydroxypropoxyl substitution of from 18% to 30%.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the added cellulose ether has a methoxyl and a hydroxypropoxyl substitution of at least about 25% each.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the added cellulose ether is characterised by its viscosity of about 1,000 mPa·

s to about 150,000 mPa·

s as a 2 weight percent aqueous solution.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the added cellulose ether is characterised by its viscosity of about 15,000 mPa·

s to about 100,000 mPa·

s as a 2 weight percent aqueous solution.

8. A thickened organic liquid or a thickened mixture thereof with water characterised in that it contains a thickening amount of hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose ether which has a methoxyl substitution of from 21% to 35%, a hydroxypropoxyl substitution of from 18% to 35% and a sum of the methoxyl and hydroxypropoxyl substitution of from 39% to 70% and which cellulose ether has a viscosity of at least about 1,000 mPa·

s as a 2 weight percent aqueous solution at 20°

C.

9. The organic liquid or mixture thereof with water of claim 8 characterised in that its viscosity is from about 1,000 mPa·

s to about 180,000 mPa·

s.

10. The organic liquid or mixture thereof with water of claim 9 characterised in that its viscosity is from about 5,000 mPa·

s to about 150,000 mPa·

s.

11. The organic liquid or mixture thereof with water of claim 8 characterised in that at least one component of the liquid comprises one or more of the following groups or atoms ##STR4## --NH₂, --C(O)--O--, --C(O)--N--, --COOH, ##STR5## --O--, --OH or halogen.

12. The organic liquid or mixture thereof with water of claim 11 characterised in that at least one organic component is methylene chloride or ethanol.

13. A hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose ether which has a methoxyl substitution of from 21% to 35%, a hydropropoxyl substitution of from 18% to 35% and a sum of the methoxyl and hydroxypropoxyl substitution of from 39% to 70% and which has a viscosity of at least about 1,000 mPa·

s as a 2 weight percent aqueous solution at 20°

C. for use as a thickening agent for an organic liquid or a mixture thereof with water.