Patent ID: 8049004

Claim:
A process for making a hydroxyl polymer wherein the process comprises the steps of: a. reacting a precursor hydroxyl polymer selected from the group consisting of: polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl alcohol derivatives, polyvinyl alcohol copolymers, starch, starch derivatives, chitosan, chitosan derivatives, cellulose, cellulose derivatives, gums, arabinans, galactans, proteins and mixtures thereof with an α, β-unsaturated dicarboxylic acid or salts thereof to produce a hydroxyl polymer comprising an ethersuccinate moiety having the formula: wherein R 1 , R 2 and R 3 are independently selected from H, branched or linear C 1 -C 4 alkyl and mixtures thereof; R 4 is (CH 2 ) y ; M is independently selected from H, cations and mixtures thereof; x is greater than 0 but less than or equal to 1; y is 0 or 1, wherein the ethersuccinate moiety is covalently bonded to a carbon atom in the hydroxyl polymer; and b. recycling the α, β-unsaturated dicarboxylic acid or salts thereof.