This invention provides for a composition particularly useful in a method comprising applying the composition to a surface to be lubricated, said composition comprising: at least one polymer (P) comprising a partially or fully fluorinated, straight or branched, polyoxyalkylene chain (R.sub.f) having two chain ends, wherein one or both chain end(s) bear(s) a hydroxy-, alkoxy- or acyl-oxy-terminated polyoxyalkylene chain free from fluorine atoms (R.sub.a), said chain comprising from 4 to 50 fluorine-free oxyalkylene units, said units being the same or different from one another and being selected from —CH.sub.2CH.sub.2O— and —CH.sub.2CH(O)O—, wherein J is independently straight or branched alkyl or aryl, preferably methyl, ethyl or phenyl and water.

The invention concerns a polycondensate containing (I) at least a structural unit, which is an aromatic moiety bearing a polyether side chain comprising 9 to 41 alkylene glycol units, (II) at least a structural unit, which is an aromatic moiety bearing at least one phosphoric acid ester group and (III) at least a methylene unit (—CH.sub.2—), the polycondensate having a polycondensation degree of 10 to 75. Also concerned are building material mixtures containing said polycondensates and the use as dispersant for inorganic binders.

The invention concerns a polycondensate containing (I) at least a structural unit, which is an aromatic moiety bearing a polyether side chain comprising 9 to 41 alkylene glycol units, (II) at least a structural unit, which is an aromatic moiety bearing at least one phosphoric acid ester group and (III) at least a methylene unit (—CH.sub.2—), the polycondensate having a polycondensation degree of 10 to 75. Also concerned are building material mixtures containing said polycondensates and the use as dispersant for inorganic binders.

Methods for converting waste streams from the wood pulping industry to high-value surfactants are described. For example, isolated lignin and lignosulfonate or waste streams containing lignin and lignosulfonate can be directly converted to surfactants, or they can be first converted to methylol derivatives and treated with further reagents to produce surfactants.

The fluorine-containing ether compound is represented by the following formula (1): R.sup.1—R.sup.2—CH.sub.2—R.sup.3—CH.sub.2—R.sup.4. In the formula (1), R.sup.1 is represented by the following formula (2), R.sup.2 is represented by the following formula (3), R.sup.3 is a perfluoropolyether chain, and R.sup.4 is an organic end group different from R.sup.1—R.sup.2— and contains two or three polar groups, wherein each polar group is bonded to a different carbon atom, and the carbon atoms to which the polar groups are bonded are bonded to one another via a linking group containing a carbon atom to which the polar group is not bonded. In the formula (2), R.sup.5 is an alkoxy group selected from the group consisting of a methoxy, an ethoxy and a propoxy group. In the formula (3), w is 2 or 3.

##STR00001##

The fluorine-containing ether compound is represented by the following formula (1): R.sup.1—R.sup.2—CH.sub.2—R.sup.3—CH.sub.2—R.sup.4. In the formula (1), R.sup.1 is represented by the following formula (2), R.sup.2 is represented by the following formula (3), R.sup.3 is a perfluoropolyether chain, and R.sup.4 is an organic end group different from R.sup.1—R.sup.2— and contains two or three polar groups, wherein each polar group is bonded to a different carbon atom, and the carbon atoms to which the polar groups are bonded are bonded to one another via a linking group containing a carbon atom to which the polar group is not bonded. In the formula (2), R.sup.5 is an alkoxy group selected from the group consisting of a methoxy, an ethoxy and a propoxy group. In the formula (3), w is 2 or 3.

##STR00001##

A method of producing a medical polyoxypropylene polymer and a polyoxypropylene/polyoxyethylene block copolymer including (A) adding to a polyoxypropylene polymer which is obtained by ring-opening polymerization of propylene oxide to a starting substance having an active hydrogen reacting with the propylene oxide and contains allyl ether as an impurity, a tertiary alkoxide of alkali metal in an excess amount based on a molar number of the active hydrogen of the starting substance and heat treating at 115° C. or less to isomerize the allyl ether to propenyl ether; and (B) adding a mineral acid to the product obtained in step (A) to adjust pH to 4 or less and treating at 70° C. or less to hydrolyze the propenyl ether. Also disclosed is a method of producing a medical polyoxypropylene/polyoxyethylene block copolymer which includes performing ring-opening polymerization of ethylene oxide to the polyoxypropylene polymer obtained above.

A method of producing a medical polyoxypropylene polymer and a polyoxypropylene/polyoxyethylene block copolymer including (A) adding to a polyoxypropylene polymer which is obtained by ring-opening polymerization of propylene oxide to a starting substance having an active hydrogen reacting with the propylene oxide and contains allyl ether as an impurity, a tertiary alkoxide of alkali metal in an excess amount based on a molar number of the active hydrogen of the starting substance and heat treating at 115° C. or less to isomerize the allyl ether to propenyl ether; and (B) adding a mineral acid to the product obtained in step (A) to adjust pH to 4 or less and treating at 70° C. or less to hydrolyze the propenyl ether. Also disclosed is a method of producing a medical polyoxypropylene/polyoxyethylene block copolymer which includes performing ring-opening polymerization of ethylene oxide to the polyoxypropylene polymer obtained above.

The present invention relates to a novel process for the synthesis of (per)fluoropolyether polymers, to certain novel (per)fluoropolyether polymers. The present invention also relates to the use of the (per)fluoropolyether polymers thus obtained as intermediate compounds for the manufacture of further polymers suitable for use as lubricants, notably for magnetic recording media (MRM).

A fluorine-containing ether compound represented by Formula (1) is provided.
R.sup.1—R.sup.2—CH.sub.2—R.sup.3—CH.sub.2—R.sup.4—R.sup.5   (1)
(In Formula (1), R.sup.1 and R.sup.5 each represents a group having a heterocyclic ring and may be the same as or different from each other, R.sup.2 and R.sup.4 each represents a divalent linking group having a polar group and play be the same as or different from each other, and R.sup.3 represents a perfluoropolyether chain.)