Method of preparing polyacetal carboxylates

摘要

Ether and acetal carboxylates useful as detergent builders to replace sodium tripolyphosphate (STP) in detergent formulations are known to the art. Certain polymeric polycarboxylates are also known to the art but all of these products suffer from either having poor builder properties or they are not readily biodegradable. According to the present invention, a method is provided for preparing new and novel polymeric acetal carboxylates which are stable under laundry use conditions, but depolymerize in acid media, making the polymer fragments more readily biodegradable in waste streams.