Patent ID: 6034172
Filing Date: 2000-03-07
Classification: B01F,C08F

Abstract:
A process for preparing water-soluble polymers by inverse emulsion polymerization of one or more monomers by the following sequence of steps:a) providing a monomer/water-in-oil emulsion using an emulsifier,b) free-radical polymerizing the monomers in monomer/water droplets by means of an effective initiator system, andc) adding an inverting surfactant to liberate the polymer phase from the water-in-oil system, wherein the emulsifier is a mixture of glycerol monooleate and one or more diacetyltartrates of fatty acid glyceride, wherein the monomers are selected from the group consisting of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, itaconic acid, maleic acid, fumaric acid, acrylamide, and water-soluble salts of any of the foregoing, and mixtures thereof, wherein the volume ratio of aqueous phase to oil phase in the emulsion is adjusted to be in the range from 2:1 parts by volume to 4:1 parts by volume, the oil phase content of the emulsion is from 20 to 24% by volume, and wherein the emulsifier mixture is used in an amount of from 0.5 to 3% by weight based on the monomer/water-in-oil emulsion.