CONTINUOUS BULK POLYMERIZATION AND ESTERIFICATION PROCESS AND COMPOSITIONS INCLUDING THE POLYMERIC PRODUCT

摘要

A continuous bulk polymerization and esterification process includes continuously charging into a reaction zone at least one ethylenically unsaturated acid-functional monomer and at least one linear or branched chain alkanol having greater than 11 carbon atoms. The process includes including maintaining a flow rate. through the reaction zone sufficient to provide an average residence time of less than .50 minutes and maintaining a temperature in the reaction zone sufficie nt to produce a polymeric product incorporating at least some of the alkanol as an ester of the polymerized ethylenically unsaturated acid - functional monomer. The polymeric product is used in various processes to produce water-based compositions including emulsions and dispersions such as oil emulsions, wax dispersions, pigment dispersions, surfactants and coatings which contain the polymeric product. A polymeric surfactant includes at least one ethylenically unsaturated acid-functional monomer which has been radically incorporated in to the polymeric surfactant and at least one ester of the incorporated ethylenically unsaturated acid-functional monomer which has a linear or branched chain alkyl group with greater than 11 carbon atoms. The molar critical micelle concentration of the polymeric surfactant is less than 1.0 .times. 10 -2 moles/liter. Aqueous 2 percent neutralized solutions of certain polymeric surfactants have a surface tensio n of less than 45 mN/m at 30.degree.C and exhibit a decrease in surface tension of at least 5 mN/m as the temperature warms from 30 .degree.C to 50 .degree.C.