Synthesis of poly(4‐methylstyrene)‐ graft‐poly(ethylene oxide)s and application as polymeric dispersant in coal‐water mixture

Abstract

Abstract Poly(4‐methylstyrene)‐graft‐poly(ethylene oxide)s were prepared via polymerisation of ethylene oxide on to poly(4‐methylstyrene)s functionalised with hydroxyl groups. In this way, many ‘comb‐like’ polymers having different hydrophobic backbone length, hydrophilic branch length and frequency of branches were synthesised. These polymers were tested as dispersants in coal‐water mixtures in order to correlate the dispersing properties of this class of polymers with the investigated parameters.