1. A copolymer obtainable from the free radical copolymerization of at least
(a) an ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid having 3 to 6 carbon atoms or the anhydride thereof
with
(b) a reaction mixture comprising at least one component of the general structural formula
where R1, R2, R3, R4, independently of one another, are H or C1- to C4-alkyl, n and m, independently of one another, are an integer from 5 to 50 and R5 is H or methyl.
2. The copolymer according to claim 1, the monoethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid being acrylic acid, methacrylic acid andor maleic anhydride.
3. (canceled)
4. The copolymer according to claim 1, the molar ratio of (a) to (b) being from 1:1 to 15:1.
5. The copolymer according to claim 1, with the K value being from 10 to 100.
6. The copolymer according to claim 1, vinylphosphonic acid being used as a further comonomer in the free radical copolymerization.
7. The copolymer according to claim 1, the free radical copolymerization being effected in the presence of a regulator based on a hypophosphite.
8. A process for the preparation of copolymers according to claim 1, comprising the steps:
i) preparation of at least one reaction mixture comprising at least one component of the general structural formula according to claim 1 from a alkali-initiated alkoxylation of acrylamide andor methacrylamide by means of at least one alkylene oxide, and
ii) free radical copolymerization of at least one of the reaction mixtures obtained in step i) with at least one monoethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid having 3 to 6 carbon atoms or the anhydride thereof.
9. The process according to claim 8, the alkylene oxide in process step i) being selected from the group consisting of ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, butylene oxide and a mixture thereof.
10. The process according to claim 8, process step i) being carried out in the presence of a basic catalyst.
11. The process according to claim 10, the basic catalyst in process step i) being selected from the group consisting of alkali metal and alkaline earth metal hydroxides, such as sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide and calcium hydroxide, alkali metal alcoholates, in particular sodium and potassium C1-C4-alcoholates, such as sodium methylate, sodium ethylate and potassium tert-butylate, alkali metal and alkaline earth metal hydrides, such as sodium hydride and calcium hydride, and alkali metal carbonates, such as sodium carbonate and potassium carbonate.
12. The process according to claim 10, the basic catalyst in process step i) being used in an amount of from 0.05 to 10% by weight, based on the total amount of the starting materials.
13. The process according to claim 8, the free radical copolymerization in step ii) being carried out in the presence of a molecular weight regulator.
14. The process according to claim 13, the molecular weight regulator in step ii) being used in an amount of from 0.05 to 10% by weight, based on the total amount of the starting materials to be polymerized.
15. The process according to claim 13, the molecular weight regulator being based on a hypophosphite.
16. The process according to claim 8, vinylphosphonic acid being used as a further comonomer in step ii) in the free radical polymerization.
17. The method of the copolymers according to claim 1, as a scale inhibitor.
18. The method of the copolymers according to claim 17 in oil field applications.
19. The copolymer according to claim 1, the monoethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid being acrylic acid, methacrylic acid or maleic anhydride.
20. The copolymer according to claim 1, the component of the general structural formula which is present in the reaction mixture (b) being prepared by an alkali-initiated alkoxylation of acrylamide and methacrylamide.
21. The copolymer according to claim 1, the component of the general structural formula which is present in the reaction mixture (b) being prepared by an alkali-initiated alkoxylation of acrylamide or methacrylamide.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A golf club having an elongated shaft connected at its distal end to a head, the head comprising a head body with a vertically oriented hitting surface having a sweet spot for hitting a golf ball and the body extending rearward from the hitting surface and having a continuous outer curvature enclosing the entire body rearward of the hitting surface, the improvement comprising,
a forward marker on a head body top at the sweet spot sufficiently large to be easily seen by a golfer holding the golf club at its proximal end in a mostly upright stance in preparation for a full swing of the golf club,
a rearward marker spaced apart from the forward marker rearward on the head body top on its continuous outer curvature aligned such that a line between the markers would intersect the hitting surface orthogonally, the rearward marker also sufficiently large to be easily seen by a golfer holding the golf club at its proximal end in a mostly upright stance in preparation for a full swing of the golf club.
2. The golf club of claim 1 wherein the markers comprise a flexible strip able to adjust to match the contour of the continuous curvature of the golf club and having an adhesive on a bottom of the strip adhering the markers to the golf club top.
3. The golf club of claim 2 wherein the strip adhered to the continuous outer surface further comprises a straight line between the forward and rearward markers, the straight line easily visible to the golfer holding the golf club at its proximal end in a mostly upright stance in preparation for a full swing of the golf club.
4. The golf club of claim 1 wherein the markers are of colors different from the club body.
5. The golf club of claim 1 wherein the rearward marker is located at least an inch from the hitting surface and is large enough to be seen easily by a standing golfer holding the golf club at its distal end in a stance preparatory to a swing of a golf club driver.
6. A flexible self-adhering sighting system adapted for marking a body of a golf club wood with a ball hitting surface, the body having a continuous curvature rearward of its hitting surface to which body an elongated shaft connects, the system comprising a forward marker sufficiently large to be easily seen by a golfer holding the golf club at its proximal end in a mostly upright stance in preparation for a full swing of the golf club when the marker is adhered to the body at its top, the marker flexing as necessary to follow the continuous outer curvature of the body at its top,
a rearward marker mountable on a head body top on its continuous outer curvature aligned such that a line between the markers would intersect the hitting surface orthogonally, the rearward marker also sufficiently large to be easily seen by a standing golfer holding the golf club at its proximal end preparatory to a full swing of the golf club,
a visible straight line between the markers also sufficiently large to be easily seen by a golfer holding the golf club at its proximal end in a mostly upright stance in preparation for a full swing of the golf club,
wherein the markers and line include an adhesive on a bottom adapted to adhere them to the golf club top continuous outer surface with the forward marker at the golf club sweet spot such that the markers and straight line are continuous on the body top.
7. The golf club of claim 6 wherein the markers are of a color different from the golf club top.
8. The golf club of claim 6 wherein the forward marker comprises an arrowhead and the rearward marker comprises a circle of size approximately the same as the forward marker.
9. A method of aligning a wood golf club face with a golf ball, the golf club having an elongated shaft connected at its distal end to a head, the head comprising a head body with vertically oriented hitting surface having a sweet spot for hitting the golf ball and the body extending rearward from the hitting surface and having a continuous outer curvature enclosing the entire body rearward of the hitting surface, comprising the following steps,
a) securing a forward marker on a head body top at the sweet spot, the forward marker being sufficiently large to be easily seen by a golfer holding the golf club at its proximal end in a mostly upright stance in preparation for a full swing of the golf club,
b) securing a rearward marker rearward on the head body top on its continuous outer curvature aligned such that a line between the markers would intersect the hitting surface orthogonally at the sweet spot, the rearward marker also sufficiently large to be easily seen by a golfer holding the golf club at its proximal end in a mostly upright stance in preparation for a full swing of the golf club.
10. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of connecting the markers with a straight line easily visible to the golfer holding the golf club at its proximal end in a mostly upright stance in preparation for a full swing of the golf club.
11. The method of claim 9 wherein the markers are able to adjust to match the contour of the continuous curvature of the golf club, markers having an adhesive on a bottom for adhering the markers to the golf club top.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein a straight line easily visible to the golfer holding the golf club at its proximal end in a mostly upright stance in preparation for a full swing of the golf club connects the markers on the top of the strip.