HYDROPHILIC RANDOM INTERPOLYMER COMPOSITIONS AND METHOD FOR MAKING SAME

摘要

Hydrocolloidal dispersions of random interpolymer compositions that have a capacity for absorbing water in amounts of from 10 to 125 times their own weight or greater and are also bacteriostatic are prepared by the polymerization in aqueous medium of a mixture of monomers comprising (1) up to about 90% by weight of an ester of an .alpha.,.beta.-olefinically unsaturated carboxylic acid and a monohydric or polyhydric alcohol having a terminal quarternary ammonium group and (2) at least one .alpha.,.beta.olefinically unsaturated comonomer in the presence of a crosslinking agent comprising a difunctional monomer derived from an .alpha.,.beta.-olefinically unsaturated carboxylic acid. The interpolymer compositions can be used for binding or coating nonwoven fabrics including paper to improve water absorbency, or cast into a structurally self-supporting film. A water dispersion of the interpolymer can also be formed into a gel, which can be shaped into useful articles or alternatively dried and pulverized into bacteriostatic hydrophilic particles.