The present invention is a polymerizable monomer represented by the following general formula (1),

##STR00001##

wherein R.sup.A represents a hydrogen atom, a fluorine atom, a methyl group, or a trifluoromethyl group; Z.sup.L is a single bond or (backbone) C(O)O; R.sup.ALU is an acid-labile group formed with an adjacent oxygen atom; X.sup.L represents an oxygen atom or a sulfur atom; R.sup.aa represents a hydrogen atom or a fluorine atom; R.sup.1a independently represents a hydrocarbyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms; n1 is an integer of 0 to 2; n2 is an integer of 1 or 2; n3 is an integer of 1 or 2; and n4 is an integer of 0 to 4.

[Problem to be Solved] To Provide a method for producing an acid-decomposable polymer having a reduced metal ion content, which suppresses decomposition and deprotection of the acid-decomposable polymer.

[Means to Solve the Problem] The method for producing an acid-decomposable polymer according to the present invention comprises the steps of: preparing a polymer solution comprising an acid-decomposable polymer; washing an acidic cation exchanger with an organic solvent until the water content in the organic solvent discharged from the acidic cation exchanger falls to 400 ppm or less; and passing the polymer solution through the washed acidic cation exchanger to reduce the metal ion content of the polymer.

[Problem to be Solved] To Provide a method for producing an acid-decomposable polymer having a reduced metal ion content, which suppresses decomposition and deprotection of the acid-decomposable polymer.

[Means to Solve the Problem] The method for producing an acid-decomposable polymer according to the present invention comprises the steps of: preparing a polymer solution comprising an acid-decomposable polymer; washing an acidic cation exchanger with an organic solvent until the water content in the organic solvent discharged from the acidic cation exchanger falls to 400 ppm or less; and passing the polymer solution through the washed acidic cation exchanger to reduce the metal ion content of the polymer.

A method for producing a fluoropolymer, which includes polymerizing a fluoromonomer in an aqueous medium in the presence of a polymer (1), the polymer (1) including a polymerized unit derived from a monomer CX.sub.2CY(CZ.sub.2ORf-A), wherein X is the same or different and is H or F; Y is H, F, an alkyl group, or a fluorine-containing alkyl group; Z is the same or different and is H, F, an alkyl group, or a fluoroalkyl group; Rf is a C1-C40 fluorine-containing alkylene group or a CC100 fluorine-containing alkylene group and having an ether bond; and A is COOM, SO.sub.3M, or OSO.sub.3M, wherein M is H, a metal atom, NR.sup.7.sub.4, imidazolium optionally having a substituent, pyridinium optionally having a substituent, or phosphonium optionally having a substituent, wherein R.sup.7 is H or an organic group, providing that at least one of X, Y, and Z contains a fluorine atom.

A compound for improving the primary detergent power of detergents and cleaning products, in particular with respect to soiling containing oil and/or grease. This is achieved essentially by the incorporation of polymers obtainable by polymerization of compounds of the general formula (I), in which R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3, independently of one another, represent H or an alkyl group having 1 to 3 C atoms, with ,-monoethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acids, carboxylic acid esters, carboxylic anhydrides, carboxamides, carboxylic acid imides, nitriles and their mixtures.

A compound for improving the primary detergent power of detergents and cleaning products, in particular with respect to soiling containing oil and/or grease. This is achieved essentially by the incorporation of polymers obtainable by polymerization of compounds of the general formula (I), in which R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3, independently of one another, represent H or an alkyl group having 1 to 3 C atoms, with ,-monoethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acids, carboxylic acid esters, carboxylic anhydrides, carboxamides, carboxylic acid imides, nitriles and their mixtures.

A composition contains ethylenically unsaturated quaternary ammonium cations with acetate counterions, where each of the ethylenically unsaturated ammonium cations contain only one non-aromatic carbon-carbon double bond and the composition contains less than one mole-percent chloride relative to quaternary ammonium cations can be polymerized to form a cationic polymer acetate.

[Object] To provide a method for producing a vinyl ether polymer containing an oxyethylene chain in a stable and efficient manner, wherein decomposition of the monomer and generation of polyacetal are suppressed.

[Means for solving problem] The method for producing a vinyl ether polymer containing an oxyethylene chain according to the present invention comprises the step of polymerizing vinyl ether represented by the following formula (1):

##STR00001## wherein R.sup.1 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 3 carbons, and n represents an integer from 1 to 10,
in the presence of water as a polymerization solvent, a basic compound as an additive, and an organic azo-based compound as a radical polymerization initiator, and in pH of 5 or more.

A method for producing a hydroxyl group-containing vinyl ether polymer according to the present invention includes: a step of radical polymerizing at least one vinyl ether selected from vinyl ether having a hydroxyl group represented by the following formula (2): ##STR00001## wherein R.sup.7 represents an alkylene group which is straight-chained, branched or comprises an alicyclic structure, and p is 1, 2, or 3, in the presence of water as a polymerization solvent and an azo compound represented by the following formula (1) as a polymerization initiator: ##STR00002## wherein R.sup.1 to R.sup.4 each independently represent a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group and R.sup.5 and R.sup.6 each independently represent an alkoxy group optionally having a substituent group or an alkyl amino group optionally having a substituent group.

A method for producing a hydroxyl group-containing vinyl ether polymer according to the present invention includes: a step of radical polymerizing at least one vinyl ether selected from vinyl ether having a hydroxyl group represented by the following formula (2): ##STR00001## wherein R.sup.7 represents an alkylene group which is straight-chained, branched or comprises an alicyclic structure, and p is 1, 2, or 3, in the presence of water as a polymerization solvent and an azo compound represented by the following formula (1) as a polymerization initiator: ##STR00002## wherein R.sup.1 to R.sup.4 each independently represent a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group and R.sup.5 and R.sup.6 each independently represent an alkoxy group optionally having a substituent group or an alkyl amino group optionally having a substituent group.