Provided herein are processes of preparing sulfonated estolide compounds, and the removal of sulfonate residues from those compounds to provide desulfonated estolide base oils. Exemplary sulfonated estolide compounds include those selected from the formula: ##STR00001##
wherein z is an integer selected from 0 to 15; q is an integer selected from 0 to 15; x is, independently for each occurrence, an integer selected from 0 to 20; y is, independently for each occurrence, an integer selected 0 to 20; n is equal to or greater than 0; R.sub.6 is selected from —OH, optionally substituted alkyl, and optionally substituted aryl; and R.sub.2 is selected from hydrogen and optionally substituted alkyl that is saturated or unsaturated, and branched or unbranched, wherein each fatty acid chain residue of said compounds is independently optionally substituted.

Provided herein are processes of preparing sulfonated estolide compounds, and the removal of sulfonate residues from those compounds to provide desulfonated estolide base oils. Exemplary sulfonated estolide compounds include those selected from the formula: ##STR00001##
wherein z is an integer selected from 0 to 15; q is an integer selected from 0 to 15; x is, independently for each occurrence, an integer selected from 0 to 20; y is, independently for each occurrence, an integer selected 0 to 20; n is equal to or greater than 0; R.sub.6 is selected from —OH, optionally substituted alkyl, and optionally substituted aryl; and R.sub.2 is selected from hydrogen and optionally substituted alkyl that is saturated or unsaturated, and branched or unbranched, wherein each fatty acid chain residue of said compounds is independently optionally substituted.

The present invention relates to the synthesis of an associative acrylic (co)polymer by aqueous emulsion radical polymerization. The (co)polymer contains at least one oligomer of acrylic acid represented by the formula (I): ##STR00001##
where n is an integer ranging from 1 to 10. The oligomer is prepared from acrylic acid at a temperature of between 50 C. and 200 C. in the presence of a basic or acid catalyst, water, and polymerization inhibitors. The present invention also relates to the associative acrylic (co)polymer obtained from the method and also to the use of this (co)polymer as a thickener in various formulations.

The present invention relates to the synthesis of an associative acrylic (co)polymer by aqueous emulsion radical polymerization. The (co)polymer contains at least one oligomer of acrylic acid represented by the formula (I): ##STR00001##
where n is an integer ranging from 1 to 10. The oligomer is prepared from acrylic acid at a temperature of between 50 C. and 200 C. in the presence of a basic or acid catalyst, water, and polymerization inhibitors. The present invention also relates to the associative acrylic (co)polymer obtained from the method and also to the use of this (co)polymer as a thickener in various formulations.

The present invention relates to the synthesis of an associative acrylic (co)polymer by aqueous emulsion radical polymerization. The (co)polymer contains at least one oligomer of acrylic acid represented by the formula (I):

##STR00001##

where n is an integer ranging from 1 to 10. The oligomer is prepared from acrylic acid at a temperature of between 50 C. and 200 C. in the presence of a basic or acid catalyst, water, and polymerization inhibitors. The present invention also relates to the associative acrylic (co)polymer obtained from the method and also to the use of this (co)polymer as a thickener in various formulations.

A binder composition for a non-aqueous secondary battery electrode contains a water-soluble polymer including, in a proportion of at least 0.1 mass % and not more than 20 mass %, a monomer unit derived from a monomer represented by general formula (1): CH.sub.2C(R.sup.1)NHR.sup.2OH (R.sup.1 is hydrogen or an alkyl group and R.sup.2 is (CHR.sup.3).sub.n(O(CHR.sup.3).sub.m).sub.l [n=1 to 10; m=1 to 4; l=0 to 3; and R.sup.3 is hydrogen or an alkyl group having a carbon number of 1 to 4]).

A method for producing a copolymer for semiconductor lithography containing less metal impurities, and a method for purifying a polymerization initiator for production of the copolymer, are provided. The method for purifying a polymerization initiator to be used for production of a polymer includes a filtering step wherein a solution of a polymerization initiator dissolved in an organic solvent is allowed to pass through a filter having a nominal pore size of not more than 1.0 m, to reduce the sodium content of the polymerization initiator solution to not more than 300 ppb with respect to the weight of the polymerization initiator. Further, the method for producing a copolymer for semiconductor lithography includes a polymerization step wherein the polymer for semiconductor lithography is synthesized by a radical polymerization reaction in the presence of a polymerization initiator purified by the above purification method.