Method for using hydrophobically associative polymers in preparing cellulosic fiber compositions, and cellulosic fiber compositions incorporating the hydrophobically associative polymers

Abstract

A papermaking method and a composition which utilize, as a drainage aid, a water soluble hydrophobically associative polymer which is a copolymer prepared from monomers which include a hydrophobic ethylenically unsaturated monomer, and one or more of a nonionic ethylenically unsaturated monomer, a cationic ethylenically unsaturated monomer, and an anionic ethylenically unsaturated monomer.

1 . A method of making a cellulosic fiber composition which comprises adding, to a cellulosic pulp slurry, a hydrophobically associative polymer comprised of reccurring units of least one hydrophobic ethylenically unsaturated monomer present in an amount from about 0.001 mole percent to about 10 mole percent, and recurring units of at least one monomer selected from a nonionic ethylenically unsaturated monomer, a cationic ethylenically unsaturated monomer, or an anionic ethylenically unsaturated monomer, with the proviso that the at least one hydrophobic ethylenically unsaturated monomer does not contain 2,4,6-triphenoethyl benzene.  
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the hydrophobic ethylenically unsaturated monomer comprises an ethylenically unsaturated monomer having at least one pendant hydrophobic group.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the pendant hydrophobic group is selected from one or more of C 4  to C 20  alkyls, C 4  to C 20  cycloalkyls, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon groups, alkaryls wherein alkyl has one or more carbons; haloalkyls of four or more carbons, or polyalkyleneoxy groups.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the hydrophobic group is selected from one or more of C 4 -C 20  alkyl groups.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the hydrophobic group is selected from one or more of C 8 -C 20  alkyl groups.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the hydrophobic ethylenically unsaturated monomer is selected from one or more hydrocarbon esters of ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acids and their salts.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the hydrophobic ethylenically unsaturated monomer is selected from one or more of the C 10 -C 20  alkyl esters of acrylic and methacrylic acid.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the nonionic ethylenically unsaturated monomer is selected from one or more of acrylamide, methacrylamide, N-alkylacrylamides, N,N-dialkylacrylamides, methyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate, acrylonitrile, N-vinyl methylacetamide, N-vinyl methyl formamide, vinyl acetate, or N-vinyl pyrrolidone.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the N-alkylacrylamide is N-methylacrylamide.  
     
     
         10 . The method of making the cellulosic fiber composition of  claim 8  wherein the at least one nonionic ethylenically unsaturated monomer is selected from one or more of acrylamide, methacrylamide, or N-alkylacrylamides.  
     
     
         11 . The method of making the cellulosic fiber composition of  claim 8  wherein the at least one nonionic ethylenically unsaturated monomer is acrylamide.  
     
     
         12 . The method of making the cellulosic fiber composition of  claim 1  wherein the at least one anionic ethylenically unsaturated monomer is selected from one or more of acrylic acid, methylacrylic acid, 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-propane sulfonate, sulfoethyl-(meth)acrylate, vinylsulfonic acid, styrene sulfonic acid, maleic acid or the salts thereof.  
     
     
         13 . The method of making the cellulosic fiber composition of  claim 12  wherein the at least one anionic ethylenically unsaturated monomer is selected from one or more of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid or the salts thereof.  
     
     
         14 . The method of making the cellulosic fiber composition of  claim 13  wherein the at least one anionic ethylenically unsaturated monomer is selected from one or more of the sodium or ammonium salts of acrylic acid.  
     
     
         15 . The method of making the cellulosic fiber composition of  claim 1  wherein the at least one hydrophobic ethylenically unsaturated monomer groups is present in an amount from about 0.01 mole percent to about 1 mole percent.  
     
     
         16 . A method of making a cellulosic fiber composition which comprises adding, to a cellulosic pulp slurry, a water soluble hydrophobically associative polymer comprising: 
 recurring units of at least one hydrophobic ethylenically unsaturated monomer present in an amount from about 0.001 mole percent to about 10 mole percent and selected from one or more of C 10 -C 20  alkyl esters of acrylic and methacrylic acid;    recurring units of at least one nonionic ethylenically unsaturated monomer is selected from one or more of acrylamide, methacrylamide, N-alkylacrylamides, N,N-dialkylacrylamides, methyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate, acrylonitrile, N-vinyl methylacetamide, N-vinyl methyl formamide, vinyl acetate, or N-vinyl pyrrolidone;    recurring units of at least one anionic ethylenically unsaturated monomer is selected from one or more of acrylic acid, methylacrylic acid, 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonate, sulfoethyl-(meth)acrylate, vinylsulfonic acid, styrene sulfonic acid, maleic acid or the salts thereof.    
     
     
         17 . The method of making a cellulosic fiber composition of  claim 16  wherein the water soluble hydrophobically associative polymer comprises: 
 recurring units of at least one hydrophobic ethylenically unsaturated monomer present in an amount from about 0.001 mole percent to about 10 mole percent and selected from one or more of C 10 -C 20  alkyl esters of acrylic and methacrylic acid;  
 recurring units of at least one nonionic ethylenically unsaturated monomer selected from one or more of acrylamide, methacrylamide, or N-alkylacrylamides;  
 recurring units of at least one anionic ethylenically unsaturated monomer is selected from one or more of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid or the salts thereof.  
 
     
     
         18 . A method of making a cellulosic fiber composition which comprises adding, to a cellulosic pulp slurry, a water soluble hydrophobically associative anionic polymer comprising at least one hydrophobic ethylenically unsaturated monomer selected from one or more of lauryl acrylate or lauryl methacrylate, acrylamide, and acrylic acid.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the hydrophobic ethylenically unsaturated monomer is lauryl acrylate.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the hydrophobic ethylenically unsaturated monomer is lauryl methacrylate.  
     
     
         21 . A cellulosic fiber composition comprising an aqueous slurry of cellulosic pulp and a water soluble hydrophobically associative polymer, wherein the polymer comprises: 
 recurring units of at least one hydrophobic ethylenically unsaturated monomer present in an amount from about 0.001 mole percent to about 10 mole percent, and    recurring units of at least one monomer selected from a nonionic ethylenically unsaturated monomer, a cationic ethylenically unsaturated monomer, or an anionic ethylenically unsaturated monomer,    with the proviso that the at least one hydrophobic ethylenically unsaturated monomer does not contain 2,4,6-triphenoethyl benzene.    
     
     
         22 . The cellulosic fiber composition of  claim 21  wherein the at least one hydrophobic ethylenically unsaturated monomer comprises an ethylenically unsaturated monomer having at least one pendant hydrophobic group.  
     
     
         23 . The cellulosic fiber composition of  claim 22  wherein the pendant hydrophobic group is selected from one or more of C 4  to C 20  alkyls, C 4  to C 20  cycloalkyls, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon groups, alkaryls wherein alkyl has one or more carbons; haloalkyls of four or more carbons, or polyalkyleneoxy groups.  
     
     
         24 . The cellulosic fiber composition of  claim 23  wherein the at least one hydrophobic group is selected from one or more of C 4 -C 20  alkyl groups.  
     
     
         25 . The cellulosic fiber composition of  claim 24  wherein the at least one hydrophobic group is selected from one or more of C 8 -C 20  alkyl groups.  
     
     
         26 . The cellulosic fiber composition of  claim 21  wherein the at least one hydrophobic ethylenically unsaturated monomer is selected from one or more hydrocarbon esters of ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acids and their salts.  
     
     
         27 . The cellulosic fiber composition of  claim 26  wherein the at least one hydrophobic ethylenically unsaturated monomer is selected from one or more of the C 10 -C 20  alkyl esters of acrylic and methacrylic acid.  
     
     
         28 . The cellulosic fiber composition of  claim 21  wherein the at least one nonionic ethylenically unsaturated monomer is selected from one or more of acrylamide, methacrylamide, N-alkylacrylamides, N,N-dialkylacrylamides, methyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate, acrylonitrile, N-vinyl methylacetamide, N-vinyl methyl formamide, vinyl acetate, or N-vinyl pyrrolidone.  
     
     
         29 . The cellulosic fiber composition of  claim 28  wherein the at least one nonionic ethylenically unsaturated monomer is acrylamide.  
     
     
         30 . The cellulosic fiber composition of  claim 21  wherein the at least one anionic ethylenically unsaturated monomer is selected from one or more of acrylic acid, methylacrylic acid, 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-propane sulfonate, sulfoethyl-(meth)acrylate, vinylsulfonic acid, styrene sulfonic acid, maleic acid or the salts thereof.  
     
     
         31 . The cellulosic fiber composition of  claim 30  wherein the at least one anionic ethylenically unsaturated monomer is selected from one or more of the sodium or ammonium salts of acrylic acid.  
     
     
         32 . The cellulosic fiber composition of  claim 21  wherein the at least one hydrophobic ethylenically unsaturated monomer groups is present in an amount from about 0.01 mole percent to about 1 mole percent.  
     
     
         33 . A cellulosic fiber composition comprising an aqueous slurry of cellulosic pulp and a water soluble hydrophobically associative polymer wherein the polymer comprises: 
 recurring units of at least one hydrophobic ethylenically unsaturated monomer present in an amount from about 0.001 mole percent to about 10 mole percent and selected from one or more of C 10 -C 20  alkyl esters of acrylic and methacrylic acid;    recurring units of at least one nonionic ethylenically unsaturated monomer is selected from one or more of acrylamide, methacrylamide, N-alkylacrylamides, N,N-dialkylacrylamides, methyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate, acrylonitrile, N-vinyl methylacetamide, N-vinyl methyl formamide, vinyl acetate, or N-vinyl pyrrolidone; recurring units of at least one anionic ethylenically unsaturated monomer is selected from one or more of acrylic acid, methylacrylic acid, 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-propane sulfonate, sulfoethyl-(meth)acrylate, vinylsulfonic acid, styrene sulfonic acid, maleic acid or the salts thereof.    
     
     
         34 . The cellulosic fiber composition of  claim 33  wherein the water soluble hydrophobically associative polymer comprises: 
 at least one hydrophobic ethylenically unsaturated monomer selected from one or more of dodecyl acrylate or dodecyl methacrylate,  
 the at least one nonionic ethylenically unsaturated monomer is acrylamide,  
 the at least one anionic ethylenically unsaturated monomer is selected from one or more of the sodium or ammonium salts of acrylic acid.  
 
     
     
         35 . The cellulosic sheet of  claim 33  comprising paper.  
     
     
         36 . A cellulosic fiber composition comprising an aqueous slurry of cellulosic pulp and a water soluble hydrophobically associative polymer wherein the polymer comprises: 
 recurring units of a hydrophobic ethylenically unsaturated monomer selected from one or more of lauryl acrylate or lauryl methacrylate,    recurring units of a nonionic ethylenically unsaturated monomer is acrylamide, and    recurring units of an anionic ethylenically unsaturated monomer is acrylic acid.    
     
     
         37 . The cellulosic sheet of  claim 36  comprising paper.