Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
140 words
A segmented copolymer containing free hydroxyl groups and comprising hard and soft segments, said hard segments comprising a polyhydroxy compound containing two primary hydroxyl groups and at least two secondary hydroxyl groups and being selected from the group consisting of disaccharides and sugar alcohols of the formula HOCH.sub.2 (CHOH).sub.n CH.sub.2 OH wherein n is a whole number from 2 to 5, and said soft segments comprising a compound of average molecular weight of from about 250 to about 5000 and being selected from the group consisting of low molecular weight polyesters having terminal isocyanate groups and low molecular weight polyethers having terminal isocyanate groups, and hard segments being linked at the primary hydroxy groups thereof to the isocyanate groups of said soft segments so that said segmented copolymer is substantially free of cross linking and contains free secondary hydroxyl groups.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
140 words
A segmented copolymer containing free hydroxyl groups and comprising hard and soft segments, said hard segments comprising a polyhydroxy compound containing two primary hydroxyl groups and at least two secondary hydroxyl groups and being selected from the group consisting of disaccharides and sugar alcohols of the formula HOCH.sub.2 (CHOH).sub.n CH.sub.2 OH wherein n is a whole number from 2 to 5, and said soft segments comprising a compound of average molecular weight of from about 250 to about 5000 and being selected from the group consisting of low molecular weight polyesters having terminal isocyanate groups and low molecular weight polyethers having terminal isocyanate groups, and hard segments being linked at the primary hydroxy groups thereof to the isocyanate groups of said soft segments so that said segmented copolymer is substantially free of cross linking and contains free secondary hydroxyl groups.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
13 words
Segmented copolymer according to claim 1 wherein said polyhydroxy compound is a disaccharide.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
Segmented copolymer according to claim 2 wherein said disaccharide is selected from the group consisting of cellobiose, lactose and maltose.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
14 words
Segmented copolymer according to claim 1 wherein said polyhydroxy compound is a sugar alcohol.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
21 words
Segmented copolymer according to claim 4 wherein said sugar alcohol is selected from the group consisting of xylitol, sorbitol and mannitol.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
91 words
Method of producing a segmented copolymer of claim 1, which comprises reacting said compound selected from the group consisting of low molecular weight polyesters having terminal isocyanate groups and low molecular weight polyethers having terminal isocyanate groups with a solution of said polyhydroxy compound dissolved in an N-ethylpyridinium chloride melt, whereby said polyhydroxy compound is linked substantially only at the primary hydroxyl groups thereof to the isocyanate groups of said compound selected from the group consisting of low molecular weight polyesters and polyethers, thus forming the segmented copolymer of claim 1.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
15 words
Method according to claim 6 wherein said N-ethylpyridinium chloride melt contains a melting point-lowering agent.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
22 words
Method according to claim 7 wherein said melting point lowering agent is selected from the group consisting of pyridine, dimethylsulfoxide and sulfolan.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
23 words
Method according to claim 6 wherein the reaction mixture includes a cross linking-preventing catalyst in an amount sufficient to prevent substantial cross linking.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
21 words
Method according to claim 9 wherein said cross linking preventing catalyst is selected from the group consisting of triethylamine and 1,4-diazabicyclo-2,2,2-octane.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
18 words
Method according to claim 10 wherein the amount of said catalyst is up to about 0.5% by weight.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
79 words
Method according to claim 6 wherein said compound selected from the group consisting of low molecular weight polyesters having terminal isocyanate groups and low molecular weight polyethers having terminal isocyanate groups is formed by reacting the corresponding low molecular weight polyester or low molecular weight polyether with an organic diisocyanate in a medium of pyridine to form the corresponding compound having terminal isocyanate groups and adding the thus formed corresponding compound in said pyridine to said N-ethylpyridinium chloride melt.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
20 words
Segmented copolymer according to claim 1 and in which the average molecular weight thereof is between about 10000 and 25000.