| abstract |
A copolymer obtainable by the radically initiated polymerisation of: A) 80 to 99.99 wt % of an olefinically unsaturated C3 to C5 monocarboxylic acid, an olefinically unsaturated C4 to C8 bicarboxylic acid or its anhydride or a mixture of such carboxylic acids or carboxylic acid anhydrides, with B) 0.01 to 50 wt % of an olefinically unsaturated quaternary ammonium compound of general formula (I) or (II) in which: R<1> is C6 to C20 alkyl, C6 to C20 alkenyl, C5 to C8 cycloalkyl, phenyl, phenyl(C1 to C12 alkyl) or (C1 to C12 alkyl) phenyl; R<2> is hydrogen, methyl or phenyl; R<3> and R<4> are hydrogen or C1 to C4 alkyl; X is halogen, C1 to C4 alkyl sulphate or C1 to C4 alkyl sulphonate, where such a C1 to C4 alkyl sulphonate group can also occur as a residue R<3> or R<4> with the formation of a betaine structure; Y is O or NH; and A is C1 to C6 alkylene; or a mixture of such ammonium compounds; C) 0 to 49.99 wt % of an acrylate or methacrylate of general formula (III) in which R<1>, R<2> and Y have the meanings given above, R<5> is hydrogen, methyl or ethyl and n is a number from 0 to 25; D) 0 to 49,99 wt % of other copolymerisable monomers, and E) 0 to 5 wt % of one or more compounds with at least two olefinically unsaturated groups in the molecule as cross-linking agents. The copolymers are suitable as thickening or dispersing agents, especially in cosmetic preparations. |