Thermoplastic hydrogels

Claim 2

A thermoplastic hydrophilic polymer having hydroxyl groups and capable of forming a hydrogel, said polymer being a condensation product of (1) a spirolactone of the formula: ##STR13## where the total of n and m is 2 to 5 and the total of n' and m' is 2 to 5 and the R groups are H or hydrocarbyl with the proviso that not over 3 R groups are hydrocarbyl with (2) a difunctional compound having two groups capable of opening the lactone ring which groups are selected from the group consisting of primary amino, secondary amino, alcoholic hydroxy and phenolic hydroxyl, (1) and (2) being employed in the range of 0.1 to 1 mole of (1) with 1 to 0.1 mole of (2).

Claim 3

A thermoplastic polymer according to claim 1, wherein the groups capable of opening the lactone ring are primary amino groups or secondary amino groups.

Claim 4

A thermoplastic polymer according to claim 2 wherein both amino groups are primary amino groups.

Claim 5

A thermoplastic polymer according to claim 1 wherein the spirolactone is 4,4-spirobibutyrolactone.

Claim 6

A thermoplastic polymer according to claim 4 wherein the groups capable of opening the lactone ring are primary amino groups or secondary amino groups.

Claim 7

A thermoplastic polymer according to claim 5 wherein both amino groups are primary amino groups.

Claim 8

A crosslinked thermoplastic polymer prepared by crosslinking a thermoplastic hydrophilic polymer having hydroxyl groups and capable of forming a hydrogel, said polymer being a condensation product of (1) a spirolactone of the formula: ##STR14## where the total of n and m is to 2 to 5 and the total of n' and m' is 2 to 5 and the R groups are H or hydrocarbyl with the proviso that not over 3 R groups are hydrocarbyl with (2) a difunctional compound capable of opening the lactone ring having two groups capable of opening the lactone ring which groups are selected from the group consisting of primary amino, secondary amino, alcoholic hydroxy and phenolic hydroxyl with a compound containing at least two functional groups capable of reacting with alcoholic hydroxyl groups, the amount of crosslinking agent being insufficient to destroy the hydrogel forming properties of the polymer.

Claim 9

A crosslinked thermoplastic polymer prepared by crosslinking a thermoplastic hydrophilic polymer having hydroxyl groups and capable of forming a hydrogel, said polymer being a condensation product of (1) a spirolactone of the formula: ##STR14## where the total of n and m is to 2 to 5 and the total of n' and m' is 2 to 5 and the R groups are H or hydrocarbyl with the proviso that not over 3 R groups are hydrocarbyl with (2) a difunctional compound capable of opening the lactone ring having two groups capable of opening the lactone ring which groups are selected from the group consisting of primary amino, secondary amino, alcoholic hydroxy and phenolic hydroxyl with a compound containing at least two functional groups capable of reacting with alcoholic hydroxyl groups, the amount of crosslinking agent being insufficient to destroy the hydrogel forming properties of the polymer.

Claim 10

A polymer according to claim 7 wherein the crosslinking compound has isocyanato groups, carboxylic acid groups, methylol groups or at least three amino groups selected from the group consisting of primary and secondary amino groups.

Claim 11

A crosslinked thermoplastic polymer according to claim 7 wherein the spirolactone is 4,4-spirobibutyrolactone.

Claim 12

A crosslinked polymer according to claim 9 wherein the groups capable of opening the lactone ring are primary amino groups or secondary amino groups.

Claim 13

A crosslinked polymer according to claim 10 wherein the crosslinking agent has isocyanato groups.

Claim 14

A crosslinked polymer according to claim 11 wherein the compound capable of opening the lactone ring is an alkylene diamine having 2 to 18 carbon atoms, xylylene diamine or piperazine.

Claim 15

A crosslinked polymer according to claim 12 wherein the diamine is an alkylene diamine having 6 to 12 dicarbon atoms.

Claim 16

A crosslinked polymer according to claim 13 wherein the isocyanate is an alkylene diisocyanate or 4,4' -methylenebis (phenylisocyanate).

Claim 17

A crosslinked polymer according to claim 14 wherein the diamine is dodecamethylenediamine and the isocyanate is hexamethylenediisocyanate.

Claim 18

A crosslinked polymer according to claim 15 reacted with 5 to 10 mol percent of the diisocyanate per molecular unit of the polymer containing two hydroxyl groups.

Claim 19

A crosslinked polymer according to claim 16 reacted with 10 mol percent of diisocyanate.

Claim 20

A crosslinked polymer according to claim 11 wherein the diisocyanate is used in an amount of 5 to 10 mol percent per molecular unit of the polymer containing two hydroxyl units.

Claim 21

A hydrogel including the polymer according to claim 17.

Claim 22

A hydrogel including the polymer of claim 11.

Claim 23

A hydrogel including the polymer of claim 9.

Claim 24

A hydrogel including the polymer of claim 7.

Claim 25

A hydrogel of the polymer of claim 6.

Claim 26

A hydrogel of the polymer of claim 4.

Claim 27

A hydrogel of the polymer of claim 1.

Claim 28

A polymer capable of forming a hydrogel, said polymer containing the repeating unit: ##STR15## where the R groups are H or hydrocarbyl with the proviso that not over 3 R groups are hydrocarbyl, the total of n + m is 2 to 5, the total of n' + m' is 2 to 5, R' is alkylene, alkylidene, cycloalkylene or arylene, A is --O--, --NH-- or ##STR16## where R' is alkyl, aryl or cycloalkyl and x is the number of units in the polymer.

Claim 29

A polymer capable of forming a hydrogel, said polymer containing the repeating unit: ##STR15## where the R groups are H or hydrocarbyl with the proviso that not over 3 R groups are hydrocarbyl, the total of n + m is 2 to 5, the total of n' + m' is 2 to 5, R' is alkylene, alkylidene, cycloalkylene or arylene, A is --O--, --NH-- or ##STR16## where R' is alkyl, aryl or cycloalkyl and x is the number of units in the polymer.

Claim 30

A polymer according to claim 26 wherein all the R groups are hydrogen.

Claim 31

A polymer according to claim 27 wherein A is NH of ##STR17##

Claim 32

A crosslinked polymer capable of forming a hydrogel, said crosslinked polymer having been prepared by reacting the polymer of claim 27 with a compound containing at least two functional groups capable of reacting with alcoholic hydroxyl groups, the amount of crosslinking agent being insufficient to destroy the hydrogel forming properties of the polymer.

Claim 33

A crosslinked polymer according to claim 29 capable of adsorbing at least 20 weight percent of water.

Claim 34

A hydrogel of the polymer of claim 30.

Claim 35

A polymer containing a: ##STR18## group prepared by heating a polymer according to claim 27 having repeating units of the formula: ##STR19## where x is the number of units in the polymer.

Claim 36

A polymer according to claim 7 wherein (1) and (2) are employed in the range of 0.1 to 1 mole of (1) with 1 to 0.1 mole of (2).

Claim 37

A polymer according to claim 33 wherein (1) and (2) are employed in the mole ratio of 1:1.

Claim 38

A hydrogel of a thermoplastic hydrophilic polymer having hydroxyl groups and capable of forming a hydrogel, said polymer being a condensation product of (1) a spirolactone of the formula: ##STR20## where the total of n and m is 2 to 5 and the total of n' and m' is 2 to 5 and the R groups are H or hydrocarbyl with the proviso that not over 3 R groups are hydrocarbyl with (2) a difunctional compound capable of opening the lactone ring having two groups capable of opening the lactone ring which groups are selected from the group consisting of primary amino, secondary amino, alcoholic hydroxy and phenolic hydroxyl.

Claim 39

A hydrogel of a thermoplastic hydrophilic polymer having hydroxyl groups and capable of forming a hydrogel, said polymer being a condensation product of (1) a spirolactone of the formula: ##STR20## where the total of n and m is 2 to 5 and the total of n' and m' is 2 to 5 and the R groups are H or hydrocarbyl with the proviso that not over 3 R groups are hydrocarbyl with (2) a difunctional compound capable of opening the lactone ring having two groups capable of opening the lactone ring which groups are selected from the group consisting of primary amino, secondary amino, alcoholic hydroxy and phenolic hydroxyl.

Claim 40

A hydrogel according to claim 35 wherein the spirolactone is 4,4-spirobibutyrolactone.

Claim 41

A hydrogel according to claim 36 wherein the spirolactone and (2) are employed in the mole ratio of 1:1.

Claim 42

A hydrogel according to claim 35 wherein (1) and (2) are employed in the mole ratio of 1:1.

Claim 43

A polymer according to claim 1 wherein (1) and (2) are employed in the mole ratio of 1:1.

Claim 44

A polymer according to claim 39 wherein the spirolactone is 4,4-spirobibutyrolactone.