Hydrophiles Copolymer, Verfahren zu seiner Herstellung und seine Verwendung

A hydrophilic copolymer can be prepared by the copolymerization of a monomer mixture of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate and 2-(2-hydroxyethoxy)ethyl methacrylate, in an amount ranging from 90 to 99.99 wt.%, with free methacrylic acid or acrylic acid or with at least one of their sodium, potassium or ammonium salts in an amount ranging from 10 to 0.01 wt.% in the presence of radical initiators. The content of 2-(2-hydroxyethoxy)ethyl methacrylate in the monomer mixture of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate and 2-(2-hydroxyethoxy)ethyl methacrylate ranges from 0 to 50 wt.% and the entire monomer mixture contains from 0.01 to 4 wt.% of a crosslinking agent having at least two olefinic double bonds. The hydrophilic copolymer is suitable for contact lenses and medical applications.