| abstract |
What is disclosed are aqueous dispersions of a hydrophilic copolymer prepared by polymerizing, in an aqueous medium, a monomer mixture comprising a member selected from the group consisting of lower alkyl acrylates and methacrylates, a compound of the formula <IMAGE> wherein R is hydrogen or methyl, R1 is hydrogen or alkyl having 1 to 4 carbon atoms. Y is oxygen or -NR2-, R2 is hydrogen or alkyl having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, and n is an integer from 1 to 25, up to 8 percent, by weight of the copolymer, of a member selected from the group consisting of copolymerizable carboxylic acids and salts of such acids, and at least one monomer capable of crosslinking said copolymer, as well as methods for making said dispersions and using them to impart a hydrophilic finish to fibers and fabrics. |