| abstract |
The thickener comprises: (a) 25 - 45% of methacrylic acid, acrylic acid or a mixture thereof; (b) 25 - 65% of alkyl acrylate such as methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, butyl acrylate, alkyl methacrylate such as methyl methacrylate, ethyl methacrylate, butyl methacrylate, lauryl methacrylate or a mixture thereof; (c) 1 - 40% of an ester of composition; <CHEM> in which R is a C12 - C25 alkyl group, n = at least 10; m = at least 5 A = H, -(CH2CH2O)n - R, C1 - C20 alkyl, -(CH2CH2O)m-H or -(CH2CH2O)m-CH3 (d) 0 - 1% of a polyethylenically unsaturated monomer effective for chain branching or crosslinking such as diallyl maleate, diallyl phthalate, divinyl benzene, allyl methacrylate, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, or trimethylol propane triacrylate. a |