Patent ID: 7189772

Claim:
A thickener comprising polyurethanes, water, at least one viscosity regulator, and, optionally, at least one organic solvent, wherein said viscosity regulator comprises at least one compound of the general formula (I) R 1 —O—(SO) a —(EO) b —(PO) c —(BO) d -(DTO) e —R 2 (I) in which R 1 and R 2 independently of one another are one of the radicals selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, an aliphatic or cycloaliphatic hydrocarbon radical, which optionally contains multiple bonds and/or heteroatoms, an aromatic radical, which optionally contains heteroatoms, an acyl radical, a carboxyacyl radical, and a carboxyalkyl radical, SO=styrene oxide radical, EO=ethylene oxide radical, PO=propylene oxide radical, BO=butylene oxide radical, and DTO=dodecene oxide and/or tetradecene oxide (as the individual substance or as a mixture), a=1 to 5, b=3 to 30, c=0 to 5, d=0 to 5, e=0 to 5 where (a+c+d+e)<=b.