Water-thickening copolymers are obtainable by copolymerization of (A) one or more monomers of the formula I R.sup.1 HC.dbd.CR.sup.2 R.sup.3 I where R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 can be identical or different and each is H or C.sub.1 -C.sub.5 -alkyl, and R.sup.3 is ##STR1## where R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 can be identical or different and each is H or C.sub.1 -C.sub.5 -alkyl, R.sup.4 is H or C.sub.1 -C.sub.5 -alkyl, R.sup.5 is C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkylene, R.sup.6 and R.sup.7 can be identical or different and each is H or C.sub.1 -C.sub.3 -alkyl, and M is hydrogen or an alkali metal, 1/2 alkaline earth metal or ammonium ion, and (B) one or more monomers of the formula IIa or IIb ##STR2## where R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 can be identical or different and each is H or C.sub.1 -C.sub.5 -alkyl, R.sup.4 is H or C.sub.1 -C.sub.5 -alkyl, X is --COOM where M is hydrogen or alkali metal, 1/2 alkaline earth metal or ammonium ion, Y is ##STR3## where R.sup.8 is C.sub.6 -C.sub.30 -alkyl, alkylaryl or aryl and R.sup.9 is H, C.sub.1 -C.sub.30 -alkyl, alkylaryl or aryl, and A and B are different and each has the meaning of X or Y.
水增稠共聚物可通过(A)式I的一个或多个单体的共聚反应获得,其中R.sup.1和R.sup.2可以相同也可以不同,每个都是H或C.sub.1-C.sub.5-烷基,而R.sup.3是##STR1##其中R.sup.1和R.sup.2可以相同也可以不同,每个都是H或C.sub.1-C.sub.5-烷基,R.sup.4是H或C.sub.1-C.sub.5-烷基,R.sup.5是C.sub.1-C.sub.4-亚烷基,R.sup.6和R.sup.7可以相同也可以不同,每个都是H或C.sub.1-C.sub.3-烷基,而M是氢或碱
金属、1/2碱土
金属或
铵离子,以及(B)式IIa或IIb的一个或多个单体##STR2##其中R.sup.1和R.sup.2可以相同也可以不同,每个都是H或C.sub.1-C.sub.5-烷基,R.sup.4是H或C.sub.1-C.sub.5-烷基,X是--COOM,其中M是氢或碱
金属、1/2碱土
金属或
铵离子,Y是##STR3##其中R.sup.8是C.sub.6-C.sub.30-烷基、烷基芳基或芳基,而R.sup.9是H、C.sub.1-C.sub.30-烷基、烷基芳基或芳基,而A和B不同,每个都具有X或Y的含义。